WASHINGTON – Today, the Peace Corps announced that Peace Corps volunteers have arrived in seven countries in North, Central, and South America. These volunteers are the first to return to the region since the agency’s unprecedented global evacuation in March 2020, when global operations were suspended and nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries were evacuated.

“Our volunteers are ready to work hand in hand with communities across the Americas to meet this moment,” said Peace Corps CEO Carol Spahn. “The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching and the work of our partners and volunteers is critical to response and recovery efforts across the globe.”

As of May 31, Peace Corps Volunteers are serving in Belize, Dominican Republic, the Eastern Caribbean, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru, in the Americas region. Volunteers will collaborate with their host communities on locally prioritized projects in one of Peace Corps’ six sectors – agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health or youth in development. Projects include English language teaching, a youth health and wellbeing program, literacy projects, and environmental education. Volunteers will also engage in COVID-19 response and recovery work. This group of volunteers includes both first-time volunteers and those evacuated in early 2020.

Currently, the agency is recruiting volunteers to serve in over 30 countries around the world at the request of host country governments. Volunteers have already returned to a total of 11 countries around the world. The Peace Corps continues to monitor COVID-19 trends in all of its host countries and will send volunteers to serve as conditions permit.

About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps is an international service network of volunteers, community members, host country partners and staff who are driven by the agency’s mission of world peace and friendship. At the invitation of governments around the world, Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members on locally-prioritized projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development. Through service, members of the Peace Corps network develop transferable skills and hone intercultural competencies that position them to be the next generation of global leaders. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries worldwide. For more information, visit peacecorps.gov and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.