Tipping point for Venezuelan refugee and migrant crisis

Statement by Dominika Arseniuk, NRC Country Director in Colombia

“The Venezuelan refugee and migration crisis is one of the most underfunded crises in the world today. International solidarity and financial support is woefully insufficient and falls desperately short of what is needed to respond to the mass exodus from Venezuela.

Halfway into the year, international donors have only committed six per cent of the USD1.4 billion requested by the humanitarian community. This shortfall means that relief organisations can only help a tiny fraction of over five million Venezuelans who need aid like food, education and livelihoods.

As a result of the dire conditions faced in countries hosting Venezuelans, requests from refugees and migrants to the international community are becoming increasingly desperate. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit Venezuelan diaspora and host communities hard, exacerbating needs and entrenching poverty even further.

We stand at a tipping point, where donors can opt to restore hope for millions of Venezuelan women, men and children, or see them slide further into poverty and destitution.”

Notes to Editors

• Photos can be downloaded for free use and distribution here.
• NRC has spokespeople available in Colombia and Venezuela for interviews in English and Spanish.

For interviews or more information, please contact:

• Advocacy Manager for Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama, David Felipe García: email: david.garcia@nrc.no, phone: +57 3214957209
• NRC’s media team in Oslo: email: media@nrc.no, phone: +47 905 62 329