Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Crisis Response Plan 2021

Year

CRP last updated: March 10 2022

Funding last updated: March 14 2022

$35,465,736

Funding required

7,200,000

People in need

283,440

People Targeted

Download CRP Download Summary

IOM Vision

Since 2004, IOM Venezuela has provided life-saving assistance and early-recovery and resilience programmes inside Venezuela for migrants and forcibly displaced populations, affected by the complex crisis of Colombia and Venezuela, as well as for the communities which host them. IOM's interventions will be multi-sectoral in nature, responding to the needs and priorities of affected populations and leveraging IOM's operational presence, technical expertise and strong relationships with national and local authorities. In addition, IOM will be working to limit the humanitarian and socioeconomic effects of the pandemic, and support affected communities to prepare for longer-term recovery.

Over the past six years, Venezuela has experienced economic contraction, recurrent periods of hyperinflation, alongside political, social and institutional tensions. In addition, in 2020 the global COVID-19 pandemic has hit the country hardly, where the healthcare system is unprepared for the arrival of the virus. According to the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela, as of 5 November 2020, over 5.4M refugees and migrants from Venezuela have left the country seeking humanitarian assistance, protection and access to basic services and job opportunities.

A 2020 study by ENCOVI (the National Survey of Living Conditions of the Venezuelan Population by its Spanish acronym) reveals a 39.3% increase in multidimensional poverty between 2014 and 2020. An estimated 96.2% of the population lives in poverty, based on household income, and 79.3% are categorized as experiencing extreme poverty, which means their income is insufficient to cover the food necessities. Poverty and insecurity have also impacted communities of Colombian refugees and asylum seekers in Venezuela.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing number of Venezuelans that are returning to their home country, with more than 145,000 having returned during 2020. This massive influx in returns is adding pressure on the already difficult situation faced by many communities in Venezuela. The high inflow of spontaneous returns due to COVID-19 outbreaks, converges with other crises, namely the socio-economic crisis, political conflict, criminality, violence, insecurity and human rights situation, as well as critical shortages and a collapse of basic public services.

Despite the high inflow of returnees, many Venezuelans leave the country to the Colombian territory on a daily basis, due to the announcements of the reactivation of the neighbouring country's economy, a relative “new normalcy”, mainly on uneven, irregular roads. The opening of borders in Colombia has led to multidirectional migratory flows, which is expected to continue in 2021. These vulnerable groups require access to a safe and dignified space, free of risks of gender-based violence (GBV) and human trafficking through the provision of comprehensive services that meet the minimum standards.

The results of the information collected through the Mobility Tracking Matrix (MTM) survey, led by the IOM MTM team in Venezuela, revealed very important data about the vulnerabilities of migrants, which helped identify their needs. 6,5% of surveyed people affirm that at least one member of his/her family suffer from a chronic or very serious illness, and 7,7% that at least one member of his/her family requires specific medication. Also, less than 3% of the people surveyed do not know the mechanisms to request asylum, refuge or some form of protection in their country of destination and 77% do not know the requirements and documentation necessary to enter the destination country, so it is evident that a large number of migrants are exposed to dangerous situations, largely due to misinformation. 3.4% of women travelling alone or in a group were pregnant, while 6%, based on the same sample, were travelling with an infant, making them the most vulnerable migrant population, whom IOM is prioritizes support to. There is a continued need for accurate, timely and comprehensive data on mobility, access to services and needs of the population within Venezuela and it is even more urgent following the pandemic.

IOM has strengthened its coordination with the UN Country Team (UNCT), as well as the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) during the implementation of the joint COVID-19 response, monitoring the high inflow of returnees in key border crossings, governmental quarantine centers’ standards, access to communities, identification of communities needs, their access, and transportation of supplies. IOM is a member of the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) of the Shelter Cluster and actively participates in all clusters’ activities. In coordination with UNHCR and OCHA, it has recently created an ad-hoc working group, in order to monitor the high inflow of returnees caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

IOM also recently developed a strong coordination with Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) for the procurement and delivery of pharmaceutical and medical commodities, the implementation of health fairs both in communities and temporary accommodation centers through mobile health teams, in order to prevent further COVID-19 transmission along Venezuela’s border areas.

IOM will continue to engage with local stakeholders, community leaders, and indigenous authorities, in order to ensure that actors have safe, sustainable and unhindered access to populations in need.

Throughout 2020, IOM reached out to vulnerable communities in remote areas with a variety of activities to humanitarian assistance, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the country. In Venezuela, IOM assisted over 13,000 beneficiaries through the provision of multiple services, including water and sanitation, protection assistance, shelter and distribution of food in temporary accommodation centers located in strategic municipalities in border areas with Colombia and expanded the coverage of these services at the border with Brazil, in Sucre and Bolivar States. It also assisted around 14,000 beneficiaries through the provision of medical and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services. As part of its COVID-19 response, IOM assisted more than 16,000 beneficiaries with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and food assistance activities and equipped various PASI (Government managed quarantine centers) with key equipment and rehabilitation.

Through last year’s progressive expansion of activities in terms of geographical coverage as well as programmes’ diversity, IOM has positioned itself as one of the key humanitarian actors in border areas, where there is limited humanitarian operational presence. In addition, IOM is currently the only organization in Venezuela implementing a system to track and monitor displacement and population mobility.

IOM, in the second semester of the year 2020 enhanced its field work and data analysis capacity to complement MTM findings in the region, by rolling out a permanent specialized in-country team and launched several data collection rounds on a period of 12 months to capture, process and disseminate information in order to provide a better understanding of the significant gaps of information on population flows, vulnerabilities and humanitarian needs in 10 states of the country, including Gran Caracas area (Caracas, Miranda, Vargas, Aragua, Carabobo and Yaracuay), Táchira, Apure, Zulia, Bolivar, Merida, Falcon, Sucre, Amazonas, Delta Amacuro, and help produce reliable comprehensive information on the recent flows. IOM is evaluating access to services over time by location, region and at the national level on a periodic basis, and monitoring risks in locations sectoral red flags/alerts. The MTM team, in coordination with its implementing partner, has carried out data collection activities from the first round during the period November-December 2020, covering four states: Distrito Capital, La Guaira, Miranda and Táchira. So far, the MTM has covered 33% of all municipalities and 39% of parishes (administrative level 3) in the selected states. Additionally, during the October surge of outward migration (Caminantes), IOM immediately deployed a team at service points to perform a survey on the humanitarian needs of migrants in key transit locations in Táchira and Apure.

Objective
Saving lives and protecting people on the move

$29,792,641

Funding required

442,618

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

Internal migrant, Internally displaced person, International migrant, Local population / community, Refugee

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Vulnerable people and communities in need, with a particular focus on women, girls, the elderly, victims of trafficking and people with disabilities are the beneficiaries targeted by IOM in Venezuela. IOM will also ensure that indigenous communities are reached through life-saving assistance. In response to COVID-19, frontline health centres and institutions will benefit from IOM activities.

Funding confirmed 34%

66% Funding gap

Protection

In order to address the protection needs of the affected population, IOM activities will include:

Establishment and management of safe spaces for women and girls in communities with high rates of reported protection incidents and risks, in order to socialize and re-build their social networks, receive social support, acquire contextually relevant skills, and receive information on issues relating to women’s rights, health, and services.
Provision of access to safe specialized multi-sectoral case management services to gender-based violence (GBV) survivors, victims of trafficking (VoT) and any other form of exploitation and/or abuse in the safe spaces.
Establishment of a referral system to specialized services in coordination with other protection actors in the targeted areas, providing specialized care, specifically health and legal services. Beneficiaries of protection assistance (the above mentioned safe spaces and case management) will include vulnerable households, focusing as well on single heads of households and the large number of elderly and children whose main financial providers have left the country and are currently in a very vulnerable situation through psychosocial care and training sessions on issues related to GBV, human trafficking and smuggling, sexual and other forms of abuse and exploitation in the communities. The protection assistance provided through this activity will be tailored based on the needs of each household.
Strengthening of the capacities of community leaders in identifying risks and facilitating access to services by providing information on available services, and of other GBV front line actors, including local NGOs and government actors providing specialized GBV services, including health, and safe shelters. Such actors will be trained through selected implementing partners.
Facilitation of access to documentation and life-saving information to the vulnerable population. Dissemination of life-saving information related to protection risks and its mitigation in transit and temporary accommodation centres, as well as in communities. This includes information on GBV risk mitigation, trafficking and smuggling, sexual and labour exploitation and other forms of abuse, updated information on available services and ways to mitigate risks. Development of messaging on GBV by GBV specialists. Provision of information and orientation on access to documentation in the country to vulnerable Venezuelans.
Establishment of a safer environment in local communities through sensitization campaigns on GBV risk mitigation, trafficking, and other forms of exploitation and abuse in areas of origin and transit in order to reach out to groups of different age, gender, and vulnerabilities.

Funding required

$3,974,012

Funding confirmed

$901,938

Last updated: 14 Mar 2022

Plan types

22%

Funding confirmed

78%

Funding gap

Direct health support

When it comes to the provision of health support services, IOM will carry out the following activities:

Provision of access to primary health care services, including health screening and referral for COVID-19 suspected cases, through specialized mobile health teams conducting consultations in general medicine, including maternal and child health, as well as for non-communicable diseases. Mobile health teams will also be trained on psychological first aid.

Deployment of medical teams to conduct health brigades in temporary accommodation centres in border states Apure, Zulia, Tachira and Bolivar states, which saw more than 130,000 returnees to the country since the beginning of year.
Provision of equipment and medicines in primary health facilities in the communities where IOM’s community leaders operate.
Enhancement of the capacities of health workers and community leaders in order to strengthen their knowledge on health-related issues of the vulnerable population through refresher trainings on health promotion topics such as menstrual hygiene management, prevention of communicable diseases, etc.
Deployment of awareness-raising campaigns on health promotion, menstrual hygiene management (MHM) to women and girls in reproductive ages and prevention of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, communicable diseases, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) related issues in identified communities.
Provision of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services to vulnerable people and communities, both at the community and individual level. This includes counselling, provision of emotional support, community and family support activities.

Funding required

$6,931,631

Funding confirmed

$1,844,712

Last updated: 14 Mar 2022

Plan types

26%

Funding confirmed

74%

Funding gap

Provision of water, sanitation and hygiene in emergencies

In order to meet the water, sanitation and hygiene requirements of the affected population, IOM activities will include:

Improvement of sanitation and access to safe drinking water for vulnerable people through the rehabilitation of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, ensuring that the assistance meets minimum Sphere standards in 1) vulnerable communities, 2) temporary accommodation centres, 3) health institutions, and 4) schools, where sanitation conditions are below minimum standards.
Distribution of hygiene supplies to the vulnerable population, including menstrual hygiene management (MHM) kits, for the vulnerable population, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls in reproductive ages. Hygiene kits contain components of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), such as antibacterial gel, latex gloves, mask, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, deodorant, litter bags and blisters of water purification tablets.
IOM WASH teams will work alongside IOM Health teams to conduct awareness-raising sessions on health and hygiene promotion, including menstrual hygiene management.
Delivery of institutional kits for ensuring appropriate hygienic conditions and cleaning and disinfection measures and provision of personal protection equipment (PPE) for personnel working in selected health centres, schools, and temporary accommodation centres for infection prevention and control purposes.
Provision of training on the proper use of hygiene items that are unfamiliar to the affected population but are required to protect them from key health risks.
Strengthening of communities’ hygiene behaviour through hygiene promotion activities, including posters, focus-group discussions, awareness campaigns and dissemination of information, education and communication (IEC) materials in targeted areas. Trainings on the use of hygiene kits will be delivered to the vulnerable population, especially for the proper use of water purification tablets.

Funding required

$5,786,560

Plan types

Shelter and settlements

In order to meet the shelter and NFI needs of the affected population, IOM activities will include:

Strengthening and expansion of IOM's network of temporary accommodation centres, to the states of Barinas and Falcón, activity started in 2019 in the border states of Zulia, Táchira and Apure, which, in 2020, included states in the eastern part of the country, Bolívar and Sucre.
Provision of a variety of services, ranging from rehabilitation of the infrastructure, prioritizing water and sanitation, provision of equipment, assistance in form of accommodation provision, access to food, sanitation facilities, and distribution of NFIs (Hygiene Kits and dignity kits) in 14 temporary accommodation centres located in Zulia, Sucre, Táchira, Apure and Bolívar, Barinas and Falcon.
Needs assessments and the provision of assistance to the most vulnerable households, people with special needs and other vulnerable groups, with the distribution of family NFIs (habitat kits, infancy kits, hygiene kits, dignity kits) in prioritized communities. Habitat kits are made up of supplies to improve the quality of life of households (mattresses, hammocks, plates, jugs and containers for water storage, mosquito nets). Infancy kits are made up of supplies for the hygiene and nutrition of infants (disposable diapers, cloth diapers, mosquito nets, mats for children, anti-diaper rash cream, powdered milk, vitamin complexes in syrup and powder, and baby bath soaps.).
Strengthening of the capacity of local partners through the provision of trainings on shelter management and standards, protection mainstreaming and humanitarian standards, among others.

Funding required

$11,200,438

Funding confirmed

$795,800

Last updated: 14 Mar 2022

Plan types

Funding confirmed

93%

Funding gap

Multi-sectoral support

Includes funding which supports multi-sectoral interventions or cannot be attributed to a specific activity area.

Funding confirmed

$4,191,110

Last updated: 14 Mar 2022

Basic needs, including food and multi-purpose cash assistance

In order to meet the basic needs of the affected population, IOM activities will include:

Provision of food supplies to vulnerable Colombian refugees, asylum seekers and members of host communities in targeted Venezuelan States.

Funding required

$800,000

Funding confirmed

$887,772

Last updated: 14 Mar 2022

Plan types

100%

Funding confirmed

Funding gap

Temporary accommodation centres

In order to meet the needs of the affected population, IOM activities will include:

Improvement of living conditions and safe access to goods and essential services to people on the move, including vulnerable populations in temporary accommodation centres. (Moved from Shelter, settlements and NF

Funding required

$1,100,000

Funding confirmed

$1,566,385

Last updated: 14 Mar 2022

Plan types

100%

Funding confirmed

Funding gap

Read less

Venezuela partnership

Objective
Driving solutions to displacement

$4,437,290

Funding required

28,000

People Targeted

Internal migrant, Internally displaced person, International migrant, Local population / community, Refugee

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Vulnerable people and communities in need, with a particular focus on women, girls, the elderly and people with disabilities, who respond to the minimum requirements by IOM in order to carry out livelihood projects (ownership of a piece of land, access to water, minimum capacities and motivation).

Community stabilization

When it comes to community stabilization efforts, IOM activities will include:

Implementation of community food security grants, as a sustainable alternative for local food production, promoting at the same time integration between people on the move and host communities decreasing the number of households in which some members skip meals due to scarcity of food.
Improvement of agricultural livelihoods, by developing community food security initiatives and social participation networks to strengthen social cohesion, promote self-help in communities, improving the capacities of adaptation and resilience.
Provision of material and technical assistance to generate adaptation mechanisms for families in prioritized communities, which will allow the promotion of small-scale production to have better access to a self-sufficient and healthy diet. Provision of seeds, agricultural tools, accompanied by trainings on productive, associative, nutritional topics, and water harvesting techniques.

Funding required

$4,437,290

Plan types

Read less

Objective
Contribute to an evidence-based and efficient crisis response system

$1,235,805

Funding required

At risk communities

People Targeted

Entities Targeted

Internal migrant, Internally displaced person, International migrant, Local population / community, Refugee

Primary target groups

Description of People and Entities Targeted

Entities targeted include relevant stakeholders, including governments institutions, working groups such as Information Management Working Groups, Field Coordination Group, Interagency Coordination Groups, donors, UN agencies and forums, and humanitarian and development actors in Venezuela and in the region that will make use of MTM products and the data collected through assessments.

Displacement tracking - rename

To address the information needs of the overall humanitarian response in Venezuela, IOM activities will include:

Collection of data to track and monitor population mobility on a regular and systematic basis through the Mobility Tracking Matrix (MTM), on the significant increase in the flow of Venezuelans seeking to return to the country through official entry points (in the states of Táchira, Apure, Zulia and Bolívar) as well as irregular routes, caused by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the recent reactivation of migration flows towards Venezuela’s neighbouring countries, for a better understanding of movements and needs. This also includes data on pendular and internal motion paths, plus demographic balances of the population at the sub-national level.
Extension of the content of the data collected in 2020, in 6 states of Venezuela (Capital District, Tachira, Bolivar, Falcón, Merida, y Zulia), to 10 states in its next round (Yaracuy, Carabobo, Aragua, Lara, Monagas, Guarico, Trujillo, Anzoategui, Vargas, Barinas).
Collection of information through multiple methodologies (key informants, household level, and individual level) both in urban and rural areas and aggregated to the state level. MTM products include maps, dashboards, narrative reports and raw data which will be shared with humanitarian partners on a regular basis.

Funding required

$1,235,805

Plan types

Read less

Operational presence in

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

International staff and affiliated work force

National staff and affiliated work force

IOM field office

^{The map used here is for illustration purposes only. Names and boundaries do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM.}

^{Figures are as of 31 December 2023. For more details of IOM's operational capacity in country, please see the IOM Capacity section.}

Global Crisis Response Platform

Working across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Crisis Response Plan 2021