Venezuelan Move To Border Countries In Desperation For Survival

Last updated on September 20th, 2023 at 10:58 am

Venezuelan refugees are swimming across nations, in desperation for survival. Latest statistics shared by the United Nations confirms that the number of refugees and migrants worldwide has now reached three million. The United Nations is seeking help from countries that are hosting a large number of displaced Venezuelans.

Strangely, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean itself have more than 3 million refuges of which about 2.4 million refugees and migrants account for Venezuelan. Colombia has the highest number with over one million, followed by Peru with half a million, Ecuador with some 220,000, and Argentina with 130,000.

While these countries have a ‘open door policy’ they have reached their limits and would need assistance from the international community to sustain the lives of fresh intake of Venezuelan migrants.

Venezuelans have fled their country due to pathetic medical conditions, leave alone conditions of apathy and discrimination against those who are infected by Covid-19.  The UN and its partners have now appealed for US$220 million to address the needs of 406,000 people across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $17.2 million earlier this year.

A dilapidated medical system has not been able to contain the spread of the virus in Venezuela where medical aid workers were severely infected themselves while they tried to contain the spread of the virus.  A sense of emergency has prevailed since June this year as the country has found it impossible to control the surging numbers.

The hospitals are in bad shape with lack of medical facilities and severe and life threatening hygiene issues. Health experts and human rights groups have thus called for more international aid for Venezuela’s health system because of the virus. A drop in oil prices and government mismanagement has generated a severe recession and hyperinflation, and nearly a third of the population is struggling to feed itself. A huge surge of refugees and migrants have thus resorted to move towards bordering countries, adding to the scare of a second wave of contraction in these countries.  While the UN has been asking for help for the Venezuelan migrants, there is a general concern over new infections across the bordering nations.