Venezuela
2021-01 Factsheet
January 2021
Feb 2021 > Before and after of an individual shelter in El Ingenio (Miranda state). Fundación Vivienda Popular, 2021
Highlights
- Through January 2021 a total of 87,091 individuals (59% female and 41% male) benefited from better access to safe shelter, energy and / or basic equipment in nine states and Distrito Capital. Partner efforts were channelled towards interventions at the community level, including the installation of 17 Refugee Housing Units (RHUs) in community centres in Falcón, Sucre, and Táchira states. Other interventions focused on providing energy solutions for communities at risk and kit distributions in host communities and in temporary shelters.
- In January 2021, the nationwide quarantine resumed after flexible measures in the previous month. Also, the Colombian Government announced that the border with Venezuela will remain closed through 1 March 2021.
- The Venezuela Humanitarian Coordinator temporarily stopped cash-based activity modalities in country.
- The number of returnees entering Venezuela through official border crossing points in the Colombian-Venezuelan border decreased compared to previous months of 2020. Despite this decrease, reportedly groups of spontaneous returnees who entered Venezuela remained in public spaces in Bolívar municipality (Táchira state), not being able to reach their areas of origin (AoO) due to restrictions on transportation by land to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of them entered using irregular routes with no surveillance by state authorities. In contrast, the number of returns through official border crossing points increased at the border with Brazil.
- The Shelter, Energy and NFI Cluster developed an online map of temporary shelters in Venezuela to support a more efficient, effective, and coordinated humanitarian response of partner organisations working in the field. The map and data are available for humanitarian use only in the following link: https://bit.ly/ClusterAlojamiento_espacios
NFI
Shelter
Need analysis
- Due to the increase of dengue cases in different municipalities in Falcón state, the distribution of mosquito nets was identified as a priority to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases. Also, this highlights the need to rehabilitate and improve health facilities and strengthen institutions with the capacity provide services to affected communities.
- Given the increase of caminantes, there is a need to offer safe shelter, as well as the distribution of basic equipment in temporary shelters and in the main mobility routes in central and border states of the country.
Response
- During the reporting month, a total of 87,091 people benefited from a better access to safe shelter, energy and / or basic equipment in nine states and District Capital, being the states with the highest number of beneficiaries Táchira (41,402), Sucre (26,402), Miranda (9,996) and Distrito Capital (4,113). In January, most of the response focused on interventions at the community level, including the installation of 17 RHUs in community centres.
- Activities targeting temporary shelters included the rehabilitation of 2 spaces in Páez municipality (Apure state), including the installation of 22 RHUs, and the provision of equipment to persons on the move in 5 temporary shelters in the municipalities of Páez (Apure state), Gran Sabana (Bolívar state) and Bermúdez (Sucre state). In total, these activities reached 840 people during the month of January.
- Activities in community centres and institutions reached a total of 4 health establishments (including 4 hospitals), 14 community and institutional centres, 1 educational centre, and 1 Punto de Atención Social Integral (PASI), and reached 84,400 people, including the provision of a total of 17 RHUs for spaces and community centres. The RHUs were installed in the states of Falcón (Josefa Camejo airport and Cruz Roja Vela de Coro), Sucre (Santa Inmaculada Concepción and Santa Catalina churches) and Táchira (Central Hospital of San Cristóbal).
- Activities in prioritised communities reached 1,851 individuals in Apure, Bolívar, Falcón, Miranda, Sucre, Táchira and Distrito Capital. These activities included the distribution of basic NFIs to people on the move, reaching 423 individuals (including buckets, mattresses, mosquito nets and kitchen sets) and solar lamps, reaching 945 individuals.
Gaps / challenges
- Although the number of interventions related to renewable energy sources for cooking and electricity increased, it is important to continue strengthening national organisations with specialised trainings on the matter.
- The number of interventions and operational presence of partner organisations in the eastern region of the country remained low during January 2021, including Delta Amacuro and Amazonas states.
