Food insecurity and water consumption in migrants in transit through Mexico during the Covid-19 pandemic

Objective.To examine the magnitude of food insecurity (FI) in migrants, both in their place of origin and during transit through Mexico and estimate the proportion of people who were unable to consume water, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Materials and methods. A total of 166 migrants, users of a soup kitchen located in northern Mexico, were interviewed.To measure the state of food insecurity in the place of origin and in transit through Mexico, the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) and an adapted version were applied. Water consumption during transit was inquired about. Results. 60.8% of migrants were classified in moderate and severe FI in their place of origin in the three months prior to displacement. During transit through Mexico, 91.6% of migrants were classified in moderate and severe FI and 86.8% felt thirsty at some point during transit but did not drink water because it was not available or safe or because they lacked the money to buy it. Conclusions. It is necessary to work on solutions that improve access to water and food for the population in transit, as part of their universal rights.