USAID/Honduras Reducing Homicide and Migrations Rates through CLA

In 2012, Honduras had the worst homicide rate in the world, and San Pedro Sula, was considered the “murder capital of the world.” Mission leadership recognized that a comprehensive, collaborative, and evidence-based approach was required to improve citizen security in Honduras. This prompted USAID and the Department of State’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) to collaborate on the design of a strategy, that would eventually be known as the “Place-Based Strategy (PBS).”

This strategy promulgated the need for concentrated, evidence-informed interventions implemented by multiple stakeholders in strategic high-crime areas. These interventions focused on reducing homicides, preventing violence, and improving citizen security. By establishing the necessary enabling conditions, USAID/Honduras was able to design a project that would encourage Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting. Development outcomes are becoming evident. Recent trends in homicide rates indicate a significant decrease in homicides;. Honduras plunged from 85/100,000 homicides in 2012 to 43.6/100,000 homicides in 2017, with further decreases expected in the official results of 2018. In addition, based on apprehensions at the U.S. Southern Border, migration rates from USAID-targeted areas fell by 68 percent between comparable time periods of 2014 and 2018.