The number of child migrants who crossed the treacherous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama has spiked, the United Nations Children's Fund said Friday. UNICEF said that in May 2021, 500 children were detected crossing on the jungle trail. But in May 2022, that number had risen to 2,000.

The fund estimates that about 5,000 children have crossed the Darien Gap so far this year.

Plagued by wild animals, swollen rivers, rough terrain and thieves, the gap claims many lives each year. The overall number of migrants crossing the land bridge between South and North America doubled.

The overall number of migrants crossing the land bridge between South and North America doubled, with about 32,000 crossing so far this year, compared to 16,000 in 2021.

WORCESTER, Mass. — It isn't easy for 25-year-old Sumaya to talk about the life she left behind in Africa. Three years after leaving her home in Uganda, this refugee is still afraid for her family she doesn't want her real name used.

Sumaya fled to the United States in 2019 after people in her hometown found out she was a lesbian. Being openly gay in Uganda is considered a crime and can be punishable by death.

"When I came here, I totally lost my family. They don't want to communicate with me. Back home I had a girlfriend for 10 years, but we had to hide it," she said.

There are not a lot of statistics kept on LGBTQ asylum seekers like Sumaya. Around the world though, being openly gay is illegal in about 70 countries. The latest data from the US government shows that from 2007 to 2017, at least 4,385 people were identified as seeking asylum because of their LGBTQ status.

"I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I thought I would try and change, but I couldn’t," Sumaya said about her life in Uganda.

For asylum-seekers like Sumaya though, just fleeing persecution is only the beginning of their journey. Once in the United States, many have a hard time finding housing while they wait for work visas to be approved.

Which is where Pastor Judith Hanlon comes in.

Pastor Hanlon is with the Hadwen Park Church United Church of Christ in Worcester, Massachusetts. Over the past decade, the congregation has worked to create a nonprofit which provides housing opportunities to LGBTQ asylum seekers like Sumaya.

"We have all new appliances, granite countertops!" Pastor Hanlon explained as she showed us around the nonprofit's newest and most expensive endeavor.

Before this year, the LGBT Asylum Task Force was housing people in rented apartments around the city of Worcester. Thanks to years of hard work and donations, they were able to raise more than $500,000 to purchase a three-story home and renovate it for asylum seekers to live in until they're able to secure permanent housing.

It's the only housing program in the country tailored specifically to LGBTQ asylum seekers.

"We were paying $43,000 a month to keep people in these apartments and realized a mortgage would cost one of the rents. So, we made a decision and had a three-year campaign to purchase a home, so we purchased this home I’m in right now," Pastor Hanlon said.

In addition to housing, the task force provides a $500 monthly stipend for immigrants until they can receive work authorization—a process that usually takes around two years.

CLINTON, Tenn. — When Travis Ervin left Afghanistan in 2010, he thought his mission in the war-torn country was complete. But this former Marine, who was tasked with clearing the cities of Marjah and Sangin from the Taliban, has found himself on a new mission: rescuing the interpreter he went to combat with.

As the country fell back into the hands of the Taliban in August, Ervin and his girlfriend began working to get his interpreter and his interpreter's family safely out of the country.

Because circumstances are still incredibly dangerous, Ervin asked that his interpreter's name not be published for this story.

"He was in gunfights with me, I've seen him pick up my dead Marines and carry them to a helicopter, and we’re just going to leave this guy and leave his family. It’s up to the American people to do this, to help these people," Ervin said, holding back tears.

For two months, Ervin and his girlfriend deployed all their backchannel resources in an effort to rescue his interpreter and his family. Eventually, he was able to get the interpreter's family to the airport in Kabul. It was a painstakingly dangerous process that finally got them to the United States.

Last week, the family arrived in East Tennessee, where they are now refugees living in Ervin's home.

"We wake up and hear the kids running around. It was like, 'This is the greatest day of my life,' being woken up by these kids," he said.

Ervin’s basement has been converted into a bedroom and prayer room. This family, who’s never had electricity before, is now starting a new life. Community donations for everything from food to clothes to toys for the kids have been pouring in.

In an effort to help the family with legal fees and housing costs, a GoFund Me has been created aimed at raising $150,000.

"You have to understand that these people come from real oppression," he added.

But the mission is far from over. While Ervin was able to get his interpreter's wife and kids safely to Tennessee, his interpreter was separated from the family during Afghanistan's collapse and remains overseas.
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"I will always help the Afghan people, always. These people need our help. It’s not up to the government. People think the government will come in with a cape and help. That's not going to happen. We need to help these people," he said passionately.

But Ervin is determined to not lose sight of the major victory that’s already been accomplished. The mere fact that this family is here that a 7-year-old daughter is starting school in America, is a victory within itself.

"Research Afghanistan and women going to school and think about this little girl going into a classroom. We’re so lucky. This family is so lucky; it’s hard to put into words. It really is," he added.

Travis Ervin’s latest mission may still not be complete, this is a victory he will savor for now.

RICHMOND, Va. — For Hamidullah Noori, every day brings a new chance to share a part of himself and his homeland in a new country.

“When I see more people coming in, I feel proud,” he said. “Every morning when I wake up, just coming to work, is another day to serve the community, another day to serve your people.”

Chef Noori, as he’s known, is the owner of “The Mantu,” a restaurant specializing in cuisine from Afghanistan. The restaurant name means "me and you," and he opened it in Richmond, Virginia just a few years ago.

After having worked with Americans in Afghanistan, he and his family were forced to flee the country in 2015 on a Special Immigrant Visa.

“We were threatened by a group called the Taliban and we were not safe,” he said.

Since 2001, approximately 97,000 Afghan refugees have been resettled in the U.S., with the following states receiving the largest share of them:

1. California
2. Texas
3. Virginia
4. Washington
5. Maryland
6. New York
7. Georgia
8. Arizona
9. Colorado
10. Missouri

When Chef Noori first arrived in Virginia, though, there were few Afghans around. It was a tough transition.

“We were totally lost because it's a totally different world,” he said.

However, Chef Noori had a dream.

“My dream was, when I came to the United States, was to show off my skills and see if I can bring attention of other people, to introduce Afghani culture,” he said.

Working six days a week, in three different jobs, he started saving money. He also reached out to resettlement agencies that initially helped him and offered his culinary services.

“'If any refugees are coming from Afghanistan or if you guys have any meetings about the refugees, so let me know. I'll bring food and cook,’” he recalled telling them. “So, I used to cook free food for most of these places without charging them anything.”

Soon, word spread. The owner of the restaurant where Chef Noori had been working at the time tried his food.

“He tasted the food and said, ‘Wow, it's really good food,’” he recalled. “And [he] said, ‘I think I can help you to achieve your dream.’”

Through social media, others also stepped forward to help invest in that dream— from helping with kitchen equipment to even creating signage for the restaurant.

“The people of Richmond, as soon as I said, ‘I'm going to open a restaurant,' and they put it in a social media. Every individual came and supported me,” he said.

Now, Chef Noori is paying it forward by cooking food for new refugees now arriving from Afghanistan, letting them know they’re not alone.

“That’s the best thing: to serve your community, to serve your people,” Chef Noori said, “and the best thing would be to serve your culture.”

When Syrian badminton player Aram Mahmoud fled his home country six years ago, he left everything behind — including his family.

"It was a very difficult decision for my family, for my father and mother, and for me also," Mahmoud said.

But he knew it was the only way to pursue his dream of playing badminton at the highest level. 

"When I left Syria and went to the Netherlands, I found a safe place. And after that, I also started playing the sport I love."

His dream will come true this summer in Tokyo.

Mahmoud is one of 29 refugee athletes selected to compete at the Olympic games under the Olympic flag. 

The team includes a wrestler from Iraq, a cyclist from Afghanistan, and a runner from South Sudan.

"When they announced my name that I was in the team, it was one of the best moments in my life, actually," he said. 

The Olympic refugee team, which first competed five years ago in Rio de Janeiro, is meant to send a message of "solidarity, resilience, and hope" at a time when a record number of people are fleeing war and persecution around the globe.

"I'm very proud, actually, to be able to represent millions of people to make them feel that they can also reach their goal if they believe in themselves," Mahmoud said.

Mahmoud fled Syria alone when he was a teenager amid a civil war. The conflict, which started 10 years ago, has left 500,000 people dead and 13 million displaced.

When he arrived in the Netherlands in 2015, Mahmoud struggled to prove himself.

"I had like two years where I was in Syria, and I couldn't practice. So my level was a bit down," he said.

Due to his refugee status, he was unable to compete internationally for the next three years. But since then, he's wasted no time climbing the world rankings.

"Now I am like No. 2 or 3 in the Netherlands. So it's like it's quite a big improvement for me," Mahmoud said.

Though he's far from a favorite, Mahmoud is ready to make the most of his time in Tokyo.

"It's a very huge me for my family, for my father. They know that I deserve this kind of chance. And I think I will also do my best there. I'm not just going there to participate."

Ben Schamisso at Newsy first reported this story.