Casco Viejo, Panama, January 2021

Arranging professional trips, let alone for pleasure, is extremely challenging during the time of the pandemic, which is frustrating, given the humanitarian needs around us. COVID-19, paired with other catastrophes of various nature (natural phenomena, conflicts) have created so much havoc across the continent that we should be all over the place responding to these challenges. While we do our best, the movement restrictions do not make things easier. As an example, I am prevented from going to Brazil's Amazon, where there is the severe pandemic crisis going on, and thousands of people die of COVID-19 unnecessarily due to the collapse of the health system.

The good news however is that despite restrictions, we are moving forward with getting authorisations from the Government of Argentina for me to travel to the country soon, so that I can visit the Province of Salta, which suffers from a severe drought and the outbreak of the pandemic. If all goes according to plans, I should be going there in early days of February, so that we can adjust our ongoing intervention to the affected populations.

While the trip is important from the professional point of view, I am also extremely happy to be able to travel again. My life - professional and personal has always involved in physical movement, and I have suffered a bit for not being able to carry out my routines as 'usual'.

I hope I will soon be able to report more progress on my work and movements!