The Venezuela Regional Humanitarian Crisis and COVID-19

The Venezuela Regional Humanitarian Crisis and COVID-19

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Updated April 30, 2021
The Venezuela Regional Humanitarian Crisis and COVID-19
The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Venezuela has
announced an initiative in February 2021 to provide 10-year
elevated congressional concerns about the country, which
temporary protection status to Venezuelan migrants in
remains in a deep crisis under the authoritarian rule of
Colombia. With separate global compacts on refugees and
President Nicolás Maduro. Even before the Coronavirus
migration adopted in 2018, experts urge timely and
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Venezuelans were
predictable funding from the international community to
facing a lack of food, medicine and health, and access to
support host government efforts to assist Venezuelan
social services. Political persecution, hyperinflation, loss of
refugees and migrants and the communities sheltering them.
income, and oppressive poverty also contributed to a dire
situation. According to household surveys, the percentage
Figure 1. Venezuelan Migrants and Asylum Seekers:
of Venezuelans living in poverty increased from 48.4% in
Flows to the Region and Beyond
2014 to 96% in 2019 (80% in extreme poverty). By the end
of 2020, more than 7 million people were estimated to
require humanitarian assistance, with pregnant and nursing
women, those with chronic illnesses, indigenous people,
migrants, children under five, and people with disabilities
particularly in need. Food insecurity is a significant issue,
mainly due to the price of food rather than its lack of
availability. Many households do not have reliable access to
potable water, and interruptions in electrical service and gas
supplies are common. With a collapsed health system,
overall health indicators, particularly infant and maternal
mortality rates, have worsened. Along with COVID-19,
previously eradicated diseases have become a major
concern. Fuel shortages, exacerbated by the end of U.S.-
licensed oil for diesel swaps in the fall of 2020, have
reportedly had an impact on humanitarian aid delivery.
Displacement
As of April 5, 2021, U.N. agencies estimated more than 5.6
million Venezuelans had fled the country. Roughly 4.7
million (about 85%) of the refugees and migrants were
hosted in Latin American and Caribbean countries, with

more than 1.7 million Venezuelans in Colombia (see
Source: CRS.
Figure 1). Responses to the Venezuelan arrivals have

varied by country and continue to evolve with events on the
Since March 21, 2021, fighting between Venezuelan
ground. The displacement crisis has affected the entire
military forces and Colombian non-state armed groups
region, as neighboring countries strain to absorb arrivals
based in Venezuela’s Apure State has driven displacement
often malnourished and in poor health. Although the U.N.
in and around Apure, Venezuela. Increased security
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) does not
concerns and existing COVID-19-related movement
consider most Venezuelans to be refugees, it asserts that a
restrictions have affected humanitarian access. As of April
significant number of displaced Venezuelans need
14, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the
humanitarian assistance, international protection, and
Venezuelan Red Cross were the only relief organizations
opportunities to regularize their status. Venezuela’s exodus
assisting populations in the area. Roughly 5,800 people
has become an unprecedented displacement crisis for the
have fled across the border to Colombia’s Arauca
Western Hemisphere, which has in place some of the
Department, where authorities are providing humanitarian
highest protection standards in the world for displaced and
assistance and protection to the recently displaced;
vulnerable persons. The countries in the region have been
however, this has raised concerns that cash assistance could
under pressure to examine their respective migration and
provide an incentive for displaced Venezuelans to remain in
asylum policies and to address, as a region, the legal status
Colombia.
of Venezuelans who have fled their country. More than 2.5
million Venezuelans in neighboring countries lack
Coronavirus Disease 2019
identification documents, making them vulnerable to
COVID-19 emerged in Venezuela in mid-March 2020 and
exploitation. In a move welcomed in the region and by the
added a complicated layer to the country’s humanitarian
international community, the Colombian government
crisis. In general, vulnerable populations often live in
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The Venezuela Regional Humanitarian Crisis and COVID-19
crowded, unsanitary conditions that make them particularly
regime. WFP plans to provide food assistance to 185,000 of
susceptible to COVID-19 and present significant challenges
the most vulnerable children by the end of 2021 and to 1.5
to response and containment. PAHO and the U.N.
million children by the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have led the international
The estimated budget for this program is $190 million,
COVID-19 response in Venezuela, prioritizing capacity-
which will be funded through the Venezuela HRP.
building support for hospitals, as well as health, water, and
sanitation interventions for vulnerable populations. PAHO
International Humanitarian Regional Response
has facilitated negotiations to obtain and distribute vaccines
UNHCR and IOM coordinate the international response to
through the World Health Organization’s COVAX
the needs of displaced Venezuelans and host communities
mechanism. To access approximately 11 million vaccines
in the region, which includes governments, U.N. entities,
through COVAX, on April 10, 2021, the Maduro
NGOs (national and international), the Red Cross
government reportedly paid $64 million and then on April
Movement, faith-based organizations, and civil society. The
18, it announced an unspecified second payment.
Regional Interagency Coordination Platform provides a

common humanitarian framework for assistance. The 2021
In neighboring countries, UNHCR, the International
Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan, launched in
Organization for Migration (IOM), and their partners have
December 2020, appealed for $1.4 billion to reach 3.3
sought to address the immediate public health needs of
million of the most vulnerable across Latin America and the
refugees and migrants, as well as the displaced prompted by
Caribbean. Protection and assistance needs are significant
the virus, while trying to reduce the spread and conduct
for arrivals and host communities, particularly in border
information and awareness campaigns. A year into the
areas. Services provided vary by country but include
pandemic, transmission and deaths due to the virus among
reception centers and options for shelter; emergency relief
those affected by the humanitarian crisis are unclear, as
items, legal assistance with asylum applications and other
widespread reporting, testing, and data are lacking. The
matters; protection from violence and exploitation; and
pandemic has impeded progress on existing humanitarian
temporary work programs and education opportunities.
priorities, and its secondary impacts (such as increased food
insecurity, protection risks, and poverty) have exacerbated
U.S. Humanitarian Assistance
an already challenging humanitarian situation. COVID-19
Since FY2017 and as of December 2020, the U.S.
prevention measures that restrict movement (such as
government has provided more than $1 billion in
physical distancing, quarantine orders, and border closures)
humanitarian and emergency food assistance in response to
have disrupted the informal economy, cross-border
the Venezuela regional crisis. The Department of Defense
economic activity, and remittances, and loss of livelihoods
has twice deployed a naval hospital ship on medical support
and economic decline have made it difficult for
deployments. In FY2020, U.S. humanitarian assistance
Venezuelans to meet their basic needs. The pandemic has
included $528.5 million to support Venezuelan refugees
complicated many Venezuelans’ decisions about whether to
and migrants who fled to other countries (or for the
stay, leave, or, in a much smaller number of cases, return to
communities hosting them) and $94.3 million for
Venezuela. Venezuelan returnees have presented challenges
humanitarian relief activities inside Venezuela. In addition,
in border areas, particularly with COVID-19 and absent the
for the COVID-19 response, the United States provided
establishment of a formal returns process.
nearly $13.7 million for Venezuela and $33.6 million for
the region.
International Humanitarian Response in Venezuela
Beginning in 2019, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of
Issues for Congress
Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) set up its coordination
Congressional interest in the humanitarian situation has
structure, including regional hubs in the country. As of
focused on displacement in the region, the political
August 2020, the humanitarian space had expanded to 129
situation in Venezuela, and the overall humanitarian
operational actors implementing 234 projects. Humanitarian
response. Some Members have also expressed concerns
access inside Venezuela has been a challenge for many
about the humanitarian impact of sanctions, particularly
humanitarian organizations. As further indication, on April
during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 117th Congress,
14, 2021, the Maduro government mandated that NGOs
oversight is likely to continue on U.S. humanitarian
operating in Venezuela register with its Office Against
assistance, as well as on contingency planning. U.S.
Organized Crime and Terrorism Financing. The
officials and Members of Congress have praised the April
Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) in Venezuela is a
2021 WFP agreement with Venezuela. In keeping with
collective effort by UNOCHA and implementing partners
international humanitarian standards, U.S. humanitarian
to coordinate and scale up a response across the country,
assistance is provided on the basis of need and according to
with assistance in the areas of health, water, sanitation and
principles of universality, impartiality, and independence.
hygiene, food security, nutrition, protection, shelter and
However, an April 2021 USAID Office of Inspector
nonfood items, and education. The 2021 HRP has sought
General report assesses some challenges USAID faces in
$762.5 million in aid and targets assistance for 4.5 million
responding to the Venezuela regional crisis, identifies areas
of the country’s most vulnerable people. Following lengthy
of fraud risk in the humanitarian response, and makes
negotiations that began in 2019, on April 19, 2021, the U.N.
recommendations to improve USAID’s approach.
World Food Program (WFP) and the Maduro government
signed a memorandum of understanding that would allow
Rhoda Margesson, Acting Section Research Manager
WFP to establish a humanitarian presence inside Venezuela
Clare Ribando Seelke, Specialist in Latin American
with full operational independence from the Maduro
Affairs
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The Venezuela Regional Humanitarian Crisis and COVID-19

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