Venezuela
Venezuela is experiencing a major humanitarian crisis, with more than 7.7 million of its citizens having left the country in search of work, food, healthcare and other basic needs. Those left behind are facing an increasingly dire political and economic situation, with more than 7.6 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. In the past decade, Venezuela’s economy has crumbled while poverty rates have risen, leaving Venezuelans struggling to access and purchase basic supplies.
This severe economic crisis has debilitated the healthcare system. Many health facilities nationwide lack essential supplies to provide primary healthcare. Most of the biggest hospitals in Venezuela lack running water, and must rely on water distributions from local governments and private companies a few times a week. Critical shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), intensive-care beds, medicines and personnel, as well as poor working conditions, have pushed droves of doctors and nurses to migrate abroad. Pervasive hunger, malnutrition and lack of access to basic services are also causing infant and maternal mortality rates to skyrocket.
27.2 million
7.7 million
7.6 million
The Challenges
Restricted Health Access
More than 8 million Venezuelans are struggling to receive healthcare, especially in indigenous and rural communities.
Infant and Maternal Health
Infant and maternal mortality rates are far higher than the global humanitarian target.
Access to Clean Water
Millions are in acute need of drinking water as many water systems are nonfunctional.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Women and girls have access only to limited GBV prevention and response services.
Our Response
Healthcare
Since we began our mission in Venezuela, International Medical Corps has strengthened the healthcare system by providing training and additional healthcare staff. Our teams have distributed more than $1.8 million in equipment, medicines, medical supplies and to health facilities and communities, reaching more than 3.5 million people and more than 120 centres throughout Apure, Bolívar, Delta Amacuro, Distrito Capital, Falcón, La Guaira, Miranda, Sucre and Zulia.
Today, we support fixed primary healthcare centres in rural settlements of Bolívar and Delta Amacuro states, recruiting qualified medical staff, providing treatments and procuring medical supplies and equipment. We also improve the local health system through training and coaching sessions for health and non-health professionals.
We provide primary healthcare and specialised services, such as sexual and reproductive health, and maternal and newborn care, to remote communities by deploying mobile medical units to reach indigenous populations with limited access to healthcare facilities. In such remote areas, International Medical Corps also strengthens health systems by training community health workers (CHWs) about how to provide home-based lifesaving skills, identify health issues, refer complicated cases and promote positive behaviours for disease prevention.
Nutrition
We incorporate nutrition services into our health programming in remote areas of Bolívar and Delta Amacuro states, where referral services for conditions caused by acute malnutrition are otherwise unavailable
Our teams in Venezuela also implement programmes, both at the health facility and the community level, that include the management of acute malnutrition, strengthening of nutritional screening for early identification of acute malnutrition and promotion of infant and young-child feeding practices. To improve the overall capacity of the local health system, we train health workers and community leaders on how to identify and treat nutritional health complications.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS)
International Medical Corps provides psychosocial support services in Bolívar and Delta Amacuro state for adults with emotional stress and psychological distress. To improve local self-reliance, we conduct training sessions for frontline health workers on psychological first aid and basic mental health concepts. Our staff and volunteers also provide community members with key messages through awareness-raising activities.
We also provide training sessions for health and non-healthcare staff on psychological first aid and the World Health Organization’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which is designed to expand services for mental, neurological and substance-abuse disorders.
Child Protection
International Medical Corps integrates child protection services into activities held in child friendly spaces, where we provide structured MHPSS programmes for children of different age groups, sessions for caregivers and information on child protection risks, and referrals to local service providers.
Food Security and Livelihoods
International Medical Corps provides food assistance to indigenous communities in Delta Amacuro state. So far, we have provided nutrient-rich foods to more than 13,000 children between the ages of zero and 5.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
We integrate WASH interventions into our health programming in Bolívar state through rehabilitation of basic and structural services at fixed health facilities, and the construction and rehabilitation of integrated WASH services and facilities.
Our programming also supports the management of environmental management of vector-borne diseases and coaching of committees, to improve local infection and prevention control. We distribute tools for environmental hygiene, such as household disease-prevention kits, to reduce exposure to vectors.
COVID-19
We supported Venezuela’s vaccination rollout plan by providing cold-chain support, distributing PPE, infection prevention and control supplies, syringes and safety boxes at vaccination centers, in addition to training frontline workers. We supported the distribution of 2 million vaccine doses across nine states. Our team also reached underserved communities in rural and remote areas through awareness-raising campaigns and the distribution of household hygiene kits.
Learn more about our response to COVID-19Building Trust and Health in Venezuela’s Indigenous Communities
Our staff believes that the relationships we build in Venezuela’s indigenous communities are key to our success in delivering health services and fostering self-reliance. Zura Vasquez, a community health promoter on International Medical Corps’ Venezuela team, says, “It is not just about coming and giving material things. It is about giving love.” When reflecting on her visits to the villages of the Orinoco River Basin, she says, “These kids are coming up to you and they will hug you, they will talk to you about what their daily life is like, they tell you what they do at home, what their parents do—and it’s not that parents don’t give them love, but it’s another type of love that the kids also need. They need to learn, and they need to be inspired.”
READ MOREOur Impact
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where have refugees and migrants Venezuelan fled to?
Countries worldwide host refugees from Venezuela, but the greatest numbers are in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador.
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What are the main humanitarian challenges in Venezuela?
Operational costs are high, and in some areas, security challenges are overwhelming. Remote areas also present a significant challenge for humanitarian access.
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How can I help people in Venezuela?
By donating to International Medical Corps, you can help us save lives in Venezuela and respond to other crises worldwide.