International aid cuts are impacting important services
Due to the sweeping global funding cuts to international aid—including the dismantling of USAID and the sharp reduction of funding from many other major donor countries—many humanitarian organizations have reduced activities or closed programs in Tapachula this year. These cuts have impacted service areas such as protection, asylum applications, pediatrics, and care for victims of violence, including sexual violence.
MSF does not take US government funding, but we have closed projects in other parts of Mexico due to a decline in migration flows. However, we have maintained an active presence in Tapachula due to the needs. We have also made our response more flexible, using mobile clinics to reach remote areas where stranded migrants now congregate. Our teams also continue to provide care at fixed locations.
Between January and September 2025, MSF teams provided 11,483 medical consultations and 2,390 mental health consultations—an increase of more than 128 percent and 53 percent, respectively, compared to the same period in 2024. This significant increase reflects the deterioration of living conditions, continued violence, and the lack of access to timely medical care.
MSF provides primary health care to migrants living on the streets, in makeshift shelters, and in informal settlements. The main reasons people come for consultations include respiratory infections, gastrointestinal illnesses, physical injuries, untreated chronic illnesses, and cases of physical or sexual violence. Many patients arrive with advanced conditions or preventable complications after going weeks without medical care. Our teams also carry out health promotion activities, distribute relief items, and refer serious cases to public hospitals.