Country facts
- Population: 6.35 million
- More than 175,000 people internally displaced in 2021
- Rank in Human Development Index: 117 of 188
IRC response
- Started work in El Salvador: 1984 (until 1992); 2018
El Salvador has been called the world’s most violent country. Decades of civil war and recent U.S. deportations have led to a dramatic increase in violence that extends from the streets into people's homes. In search of safety, hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans flee their homes every year and remain without basic resources for survival. The IRC is matching displaced people with critical information and services and providing emergency cash relief.
Since the 1930s, El Salvador has experienced a range of crises including ethnic cleansing, military dictatorship, and natural disasters. Civil war in the 1980s saw an estimated 75,000 people killed and over one million displaced. In the aftermath of reconstruction from the war, non-state armed groups emerged, placing civilians in the middle of territorial conflicts and life-threatening danger. The level of violence is now greater than it was during the civil war.
Every year an estimated 200,000-300,000 Salvadorans flee their homes in search of safety. Since internal displacement is not recognized by the government, it’s difficult for organizations to know how many people are displaced, locate them and provide support. As a result, people are forced to move multiple times without any hope of stability. They will soon be left with no choice but to flee their country.
Hundreds of thousands of people remain uprooted from their homes and struggling to survive in dangerous conditions. Hidden and on the run, many cannot access lifesaving information about available services. They’re either removed from the resources they need or fear exposing their identities and being exploited. El Salvador also suffers from one of the highest homicide rates in the world.
Many people were found unable to meet basic needs due to lack of access to cash and jobs, especially in the critical period during and directly after fleeing their homes. They also expressed needs for psychosocial support and shelter. Extended families and friends frequently also are forced to flee because they are targeted by association.
Women and children are particularly vulnerable to violence. Children are being recruited by non-state armed groups, similar to how they were recruited as soldiers during the civil war. And women and girls are taken as possessions of such groups, raped and traded as property.
The IRC’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future.
We first began assisting Salvadorans in 1984 during the civil war, which saw 600,000-800,000 people displaced by violence. We worked with local partners to provide health care and sanitation services, and to help displaced people reenter their communities. We finished our work after a peace treaty was signed in 1992. Now, violence and displacement are increasing once again.
The IRC was one of the first international organizations to declare a humanitarian crisis in El Salvador. Backed by decades of experience aiding displaced people and recent in-depth research about the crisis, the IRC is supporting the basic needs of Salvadorans affected by violence by:
- implementing CuéntaNos, an interactive information platform that provides trustworthy, up-to-date information and strengthens coordination between service providers and government institutions;
- providing cash assistance to help people rebuild their lives;
- providing emergency assistance to help high-risk people find shelter and safety;
- working with local partners to improve the quality of their services in accordance with international standards;
- creating safe spaces for women, girls, children and members of the LGBTQ+ community who are survivors of gender-based violence.
As violence continues to plague El Salvador, the IRC’s work is more critical than ever. We pledge to put the needs of those most affected by the crisis at the forefront of our efforts and to achieve measurable improvements.
We will continue to support uprooted people by focusing on the following areas providing mental health and psychosocial support for vulnerable Salvadorans and service providers.
