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One in every four children in Honduras suffers from chronic malnutrition. Natural disasters and climate make it hard to grow food. The "World Food Programme" has been working on this issue since the 70's, yet Hondurans are still struggling.

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This programme ensures appropriate nutrition for children under five in Honduras, as well as for pregnant and breastfeeding women. It provides comprehensive care and special fortified food for children in the first 1,000 days of life, aiming to prevent stunting and malnourishment.

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This article covers many of the political issues in Honduras such as police abuse and corruption, judicial independence, attacks on activists, and violence. Many pieces of Honduran society are corrupted and falling apart. Also there are high rate of gang violence, and the police have little to no control over the gangs.

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Police Abuse and Corruption

The use of lethal force by the national police is a chronic problem. Investigations into police abuses are hindered by inefficiency and corruption; little information about them is made public, and impunity is the rule. Efforts to address endemic corruption have made little progress.

In April, police files surfaced showing that high-level commanders, acting under orders from Winter Blanco, a cartel leader from the Caribbean coast, had ordered the 2009 assassination of the chief of the Anti-Drug Directorate, Julián Arístides González Irías, and, two years later, of his adviser, Alfredo Landaverde. A police-reform commission appointed in response to the revelations announced the removal from active duty of 27 police commanders, including two former chiefs of the national police. Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales, a former security minister, resigned.

President Juan Orlando Hernández has expanded the military's role in combating violent crime. The National Human Rights Commission (CONADEH), in a December 2015 report, listed complaints it has received against the Military Police and Army personnel, alleging abuses that include killings, abductions, torture, rapes, and robberies.

Judicial Independence

Judges face politically motivated intimidation and interference. In December 2012, Congress voted to remove four of the five justices in the Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber after the justices ruled that a law aimed at addressing police corruption was unconstitutional.

The replacement of the four justices was part of a broader pattern of interference. By December 2014, the Council of Judiciary, established in 2011 with authority to appoint and dismiss judges, had fired 29 and suspended another 28, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), although the basis for disciplinary action and the applicable penalties had yet to be defined by law.

Attacks on Journalists, Lawyers, Human Rights Defenders, Environmental Activists

The IACHR described Honduras in August as "one of the most hostile and dangerous countries for human rights defenders." Journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders suffer threats, attacks, and killings. Twenty-one journalists were murdered from 2014 through May 2016, according to the National Human Rights Commission (CONADEH). Almost all killings of journalists go unpunished.

In 2015, the government enacted a law that created a 14-member National Council for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (NCPHRD), as well as a "protection system" headed by the Secretariat of Justice, Human Rights, Governance, and Decentralization. The Committee against Torture (CAT) noted that the NCPHRD is moving slowly on 38 petitions for protection received through May 2016.

In March, Berta Cáceres, an indigenous land rights and environmental defender, was shot dead in her home. Although she had reported to police 33 threats on her life, none were investigated. Cáceres, a member of Honduras' largest indigenous group, the Lenca, had waged a campaign to stop the building of the Agua Zarca Dam, which the activists condemn as a threat to the Gualcarque River. Five men, including an army major and the manager for social and environmental matters for Desarrollos Energéticos (DESA), the firm contracted to build the dam, were arrested in early May for alleged participation in Cáceres's murder, which prosecutors said was part of a conspiracy with DESA. A sixth suspect was arrested in September.

Criminal Defamation

In July, Honduran television journalist Ariel Armando D'Vicente was convicted of defamation, sentenced to three years in prison, and banned for three years from working as a journalist. The charges arose from a series of reports in 2014, in which D'Vicente linked the police commander of Choluteca Department to cattle smuggling gangs. D'Vicente remains free pending appeal of his conviction.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Homophobic violence is a major problem in Honduras. In June, several United Nations agencies working in Honduras urged the government to investigate killings of LGBTI activists and noted that sexual violence against LGBTI individuals forces them into "internal displacement" or to flee the country in search of international protection.

Violence against Children

Fear of gang violence drives hundreds of children every year to leave the country and head north, often unaccompanied. According to a report by UNICEF and the National Violence Observatory of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH), the number of child homicides rose from 434 in 2014 to 570 in 2015.

Prison Conditions

Inhumane conditions, including overcrowding, inadequate nutrition, and poor sanitation, are endemic to Honduran prisons. Designed to hold up to 8,600 inmates, the country's lockups held more than 16,000 in December 2015. Prison guards in many facilities have effectively relinquished control and discipline to the inmates.

Key International Actors

In January, the OAS signed an agreement with the Honduran government creating the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH). President Hernández had proposed the collaboration in July 2015, after protests demanding a commission similar to Guatemala's International Commission Against Impunity (CICIG). MACCIH began operating in April.

In November 2015, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found that Honduras violated the rights of four judges who were dismissed for opposing the 2009 military coup against former President Zelaya. The ruling obligated Honduras to reinstate three of the judges-one had already been reinstated-or, if the government could show reinstatement was not possible, compensate them for lost pay. In response to the ruling, the government claimed that lack of vacant posts prevented reinstatement of the judges, and opted to pay reparations.

The US Congress allotted US$98.3 million in bilateral aid for fiscal year 2016, of which 75 percent was contingent on certification of the government's progress on issues including the protection of human rights, the combatting of corruption, and the strengthening of public institutions.

On September 30, 2016, the Department of State certified to the US Congress that Honduras has taken effective steps to meet the criteria specified in the Fiscal Year 2016 appropriation legislation.

In June, Honduras signed an agreement with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the opening of a UNHCR office to aid in the protection of people internally displaced by violence, as well as refugees who are returned by the US and Mexico.

In May, in response to Cáceres' killing and the filing of charges against an employee of DESA, the Dutch development bank, FMO, and the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation, Finnfund, announced they would withdraw their financing for the Agua Zarca Dam.

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World Report 2017: Rights Trends in Honduras

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Rampant crime and impunity for human rights abuses remain the norm in Honduras. Despite a downward trend in recent years, the murder rate is among the highest in the world. Journalists, peasant activists, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals are among those most vulnerable to violence.

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62.8% of Honduran people live below the poverty line. That mean their income is less than $2.50 a day. The poverty level in Honduras is one of the highest in the world. Homes are generally one room structures. Medical care is limited and often inaccessible.

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62.8% of Hondurans live in poverty (World Bank, 2013). We call the rural areas where we work, "The Last Mile." Here, 6 out of 10 of households are subject to extreme poverty of incomes of less than $2.50 per day (World Bank, 2013). And, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index the country scores high on vulnerability and low on readiness to adapt to climate change.
Un- and under-employment rates throughout Honduras are high at about 36% (2009 estimate, World Fact Book).

Honduras is also a difficult place to establish businesses and jobs as proven by a World Bank report that ranks the country 125th out of 185 countries on the ease of doing business and 179th out of 185 on successful enforcement of contracts.

One of the main obstacles to poverty reduction and sustainable development in Honduras is violence. In 2011, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime labeled Honduras the Murder Capital of the World with 82 homicides for every 100,000 inhabitants. In 2014 the rate is still one of the highest in the world at 67 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Statistics translate into depressing reality. Villages are reached by muddy, rock-strewn roads. Homes are generally one-room adobe structures with animals living in close proximity. Few children have shoes. Many families do not have toilets and simply use the out of doors.

There is extremely limited access to any kind of medical care so that if a family member falls ill with a respiratory problem, there are few resources to solve the problem.

Most families do not have access to clean water and get water from a cistern or pozo. If there is no rain, families haul water from the nearest, usually polluted, stream.

Meals are beans, tortillas, rice, eggs, little meat and limited vegetables. Coffee is the drink of choice and beans are roasted on the plancha of the stove. Often the home is used to store the corn harvest attracting rats, mice and disease.

Supporting Mirador by buying a stove or carbon credits helps solve these problems. Building stoves creates jobs and helps teach the use of technology. Using half the amount of wood saves families money if they must buy wood, or time if they must gather it, contributing to the economic welfare. Living in a clean, smoke free house is a true improvement, even if the house still has a dirt floor.

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One of the poorest, most vulnerable countries in the world | Proyecto Mirador

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62.8% of Hondurans live in poverty (World Bank, 2013). We call the rural areas where we work, "The Last Mile." Here, 6 out of 10 of households are subject to extreme poverty of incomes of less than $2.50 per day (World Bank, 2013).

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638,000 Honduran people don't have access to safe water. One million people lack access to improved sanitation. People in rural areas often obtain water from unprotected springs.

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We work in 11 countries and counting...

We work in 11 countries on four continents. In Asia, we work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Our work in Africa spans from Kenya to Tanzania and Uganda. And in Latin America, we work in Brazil, Mexico and Peru.

In these countries - in urban communities, in rural villages, in homes and schools - this is where we're transforming lives. We're scaling impact as we continue to assess new regions where our market-driven, financial approach can help change the lives of people in need.

Our solutions are market-driven

The water crisis looks different in different parts of the world. Our solution - small, affordable loans for water and sanitation - is adaptable to the countries where we work. Choosing those countries requires strategic consideration as we work toward the global goal of safe water and sanitation for all.

We pursue programs based on the following:

The need for access to safe water and improved sanitation in the area.

The potential effectiveness of a financial approach to solve the water crisis for people in the region.

The level of support of the utility infrastructure, economic demographics, and political environment for our work.

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We work in 11 countries on four continents. In Asia we have programs in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Our programs in Africa span from Kenya to Uganda and Tanzania. And in Latin America we work in Mexico, Brazil and Peru.

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The U.S. government issued a travel warning to U.S. citizens in January of 2017 saying 70% of homicides out of country were committed there. Gang activity is extremely high. The government recommends staying alert at all times in Honduras.

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Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

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The recent election in Honduras sparked riots across the country. Citizens were unset by the election results and called for a recount. Schools and businesses were shut down. A 6pm to 6am curfew was issued for the safety of the Honduran Citizens.

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Honduras declared a state of emergency on Friday after the country was gripped by a third day of violent protests over delayed and disputed presidential election results. The opposition has continued to declare the election results fraudulent.

"The suspension of constitutional guarantees was approved so that the armed forces and the national police can contain this wave of violence that has engulfed the country," Ebal Diaz, an official for the council of ministers, said on national television.

The government's cabinet chief, Jorge Hernandez, said some constitutional guarantees would be suspended for 10 days to allow security forces to control the situation. The government declared a national curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

At least one opposition demonstrator was killed on Saturday during clashes with the security forces.

Read more: The faces behind Honduras' election turmoil
Recounts for some ballots
The electoral court said 95 percent of ballots had been counted from Sunday's election, but that 1,031 boxes would be hand counted due to irregularities.

The most recent vote tally had incumbent President Juan Orlando Hernandez with a narrow 1.5 percent lead over opposition candidate Salvador Nasralla. Nasralla had a 5 percent lead on Monday with more than half the votes counted, but he then fell behind when new numbers were announced on Tuesday.

Both Hernandez and Nasralla have claimed victory. The opposition refuses to accept the results and claims electoral fraud.

Military and national police clashed with protesters.
New demands
Electoral court president David Matamoros said both parties' representatives would be present alongside international observers to observe the remaining vote recounts.

But the opposition has not sent any representatives and refused to recognize the special count after it issued new demands, including a recount of votes in three of Honduras' 18 departments.

The opposition has claimed that the vote count in the three departments was too high and more than 1,031 ballot boxes were questionable.

Final results will not be announced until all votes are counted, potentially plunging Honduras into a drawn-out political crisis.

Read more: 5 things to know about the divisive elections
Focus on electoral court
Nasralla leads a center-left alliance and is backed by former President Manuel Zelaya, who was ousted in a coup in 2009.

Zelaya said on Thursday that electoral court "crimes" helped tip the vote in Hernandez's favor. Hernandez is controversially standing for a second term, made possible by a 2015 Supreme Court ruling.

Retired Gen. Romeo Vazquez, who led the coup that ousted Zelaya, said the electoral body has helped create a crisis and made voters feel their vote is being manipulated.

"The electoral court is not doing things correctly and things have gotten out of control," he said. "The people believe there was fraud because the court did not make the election results immediately known."

Protesters set up barricades and burned tires on roads.
Rioting, looting
The electoral crisis has sparked concern of instability in the Central American country wracked by gang violence.

At least one man has been killed and another 20 people have been injured in clashes between protesters and police in several cities across the country.

Demonstrators have blocked roads, burned tires, rioted and looted.

In a joint statement, the national police and armed forces called for peace and people had a right to protest so long as it was peaceful.

cw/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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Honduras wracked by rioting as election results further delayed | News | DW | 02.12.2017

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Honduras declared a state of emergency on Friday after the country was gripped by a third day of violent protests over delayed and disputed presidential election results. The opposition has continued to declare the election results fraudulent.