Central America: President Mary Katherine Morn traveled to Cuba in March to meet with Central American partners supporting Maya communities in Guatemala, independent journalism in Honduras, two feminist organizations, and the community foundation supporting the Honduras Guapinal Water Defenders, who face anti-environmental violence.

Haiti: UUSC continues support of a women’s leadership group.

Louisiana: UUSC is providing legal support for indigenous people in the Mississippi Delta, who are facing devastating loss of dry land due to salt water intrusion.

Mexico: UUSC is helping to support migrants journeying toward the US border.

Bahamas: UUSC is supporting partner Equality Bahamas, which is working to bring together women, girls, immigrants, and LGBTQIA+ people to advance social justice, and to provide assistance to people suffering the aftereffects of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. They are deep into a campaign to criminalize marital rape.

Burma: At the end of 2022, UUCS staff visited eastern Burma to meet with partners working to support the Karen, Shan and Karenni minority communities, which are suffering from food insecurity, a lack of clean water, and limited access to education and health care—all due to relentless strikes by the Burmese military, who are also persisting in their genocide of Rohingya people. We celebrate passage of the Burma Act in Congress, where UUSC played a significant role in advocacy. The act increases U.S. pressure on Burma’s military junta, the State Administrative Council (SAC), and provides more aid to the people of Burma.

Bangladesh: UUSC continues support of Rohingya, including emergency support for victims of the massive fire in the crowded Cox’s Bazar camp. With diminishing international help, UUSC’s advocacy on behalf of the Rohingya is of increasing importance.

Pacific Islands: In the face of rising seas inundating their countries, UUSC partner Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change has been working to have the International Court of Justice issue an Advisory Opinion on climate change. UUSC enabled the group to attend the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, and in March, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution endorsing this effort.

Image caption: UUSC Special Rapporteur with partners in Louisiana