Venezuela Crisis - Emergency Assistance for the Americas - IOM 2020

March 2020 - Severe food shortages and record hyperinflation have put buying food and medicine out of reach for many Venezuelans and has heavily impacted their ability to meet basic needs. Over 4 million people have fled Venezuela and are now seeking protection in neighbouring countries such as Colombia Ecuador and Peru. As the situation continues to deteriorate in Venezuela vulnerable and crisis-affected populations are in need of critical assistance including basic health support food security and nutrition protection and water and sanitation assistance. With GAC’s support the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working in several eligible countries in the Americas to help support the response to the Venezuela refugee and migrant situation in the region. Project activities include: (1) providing emergency shelter kits non-food items and multi-purpose cash; (2) coordinating camp management for internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in United Nations bases; (3) deploying mobile teams to remote locations where affected populations lack water sanitation and hygiene services; (4) providing emergency water sanitation and hygiene; (5) supporting humanitarian organizations by establishing lightweight camps in deep field locations heavy base camps and national NGO support centres and by providing cargo transport services; (6) data collection that includes mapping of vulnerable populations at points of entry and at the district and community levels for enhanced targeting and delivery of assistance; and (7) protection and gender mainstreaming across humanitarian response activities for extremely vulnerable individuals including unaccompanied migrant children and single women and adolescent girls.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to emergency health care shelter and relief items; (2) increased access to emergency water sanitation and hygiene services; (3) increased access to protection services; and (4) increased ability to transport and deliver relief items. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.