CISP: Protection and Humanitarian Assistance at the Colombian-Venezuelan borders

The political and socio-economic situation in Venezuela has had and continues to have severe humanitarian consequences on the population. The main humanitarian needs in the country are associated with shortages of medicines and medical supplies, food insecurity and malnutrition, lack of protection, human rights violations and security concerns. Access to basic education has been severely affected with increasingly high dropout rates. This has prompted a large number of people to flee the country, originating a migratory crisis of regional dimensions – possibly the greatest of this type in Latin America – which is pushing national and international responses to their limits.

Colombia has been the host country in the Americas most directly affectted by this situation. According to the census carried out between April and June 2018 by the Government of Colombia (GoC), as of June 2018, 442’462 Venezuelans were living in the country in an irregular manner, and 316’572 Venezuelans were living in Colombia in a regular manner. The total of 819’034 however does not include Venezuelans that did not registered in the census or the ones that entered the country after June 2018. In addition, it does not include the approximately 250’000 Colombian returnees.

In August 2018, the GoC issued a decree allowing the temporary regularization of the 442’462 irregular Venezuelans, who will have the possibility to access medical services, education and the job market. However, the situation remains alarming and raises a series of protection challenges affecting all people displaced from Venezuela, but particularly those who find themselves at the borders, in an irregular situation, as well as vulnerable groups such as women, children and indigenous communities.

Many of the very serious protection challenges affecting people are in direct relation with the nature of the large-scale displacement. Others are directly related to the particular context in the border region in Colombia: the existence of illegal armed groups, post-demobilization groups and other actors associated with illegal economies at the borders increases security concerns for people in these territories. 

Improve protection and humanitarian assistance for people living along the Colombo-Venezuelan border: internally displaced people, returnees, persons with international protection needs and other vulnerable persons.

Directly 4500 vulnerable people in the border areas of Táchira and Apure in  Venezuela (1490 with SDC funding); internally displaced, returnees, migrants and host communities in the border areas of Arauca, Vichada and Norte de Santander in Colombia. Special attention will be given to female-headed households with children and adolescents.

Additionally, the project will benefit indirectly to 1350 persons. This number includes:

- Members of the family of people informed about protection routes and who have been able to regularize their stay in Colombia (350);

- Members of the family and host communities oriented on access to water and sanitation as well as hygiene habits (500);

- Persons attended by institutions in the areas of protection (200) and health (300) in Colombia and in Venezuela.

Outcome 1.  Individual and collective capacities are reinforced to provide comprehensive protection for vulnerable people at the borders.

Outcome 2. Girls and boys in a situation of socio-economic vulnerability are able to access education.

Outcome 3. Communicable and non-communicable diseases are prevented and addressed.

Outcome 4.  Vulnerable persons have improved their access to safe water and sanitation, habitat, and personal hygiene.

Outcome 5. Vulnerable persons have improved their access to food security and nutritional quality.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

1. Protection. Vulnerable people on both side of the borders receive information on their rights and protection routes as well as psychosocial support; monetary contributions are given to migrants in order to access documentation; technical capacity of civil society organizations and institutions are reinforced to provide humanitarian response and protection measures. 

2. Education. Girls and boys receive uniforms, school material and bicycles. Schools are furnished with material for culture, recreational activities and sports; teachers are trained on protective environments models to ensure permanence at school.  

3. Health.  Information campaigns on prevention are organized; medical days are organized to provide medical services; a health network is set up to attend the necessity of vulnerable populations; specialized medical care and family planning activities are provided for women. 

4. Water and Sanitation.  Information activities on healthy habits and hygiene are carried on; facilities to improve access to safe water and sanitation and hygiene are provided (mosquito nets, hygiene kits, water filters). Water systems and/or evacuation of wastewater systems are improved.

5. On food security and nutrition. Door to door food assistance is provided; referrals to nutritional centres are organized. Nutritional centres and community kitchens are reinforced. Community training and individual trainings on food handling are organized.

Equipo Local de Coordinacion ELC: UNHCR, NRC, Save the Children. Caritas, Red Cross, Federación Luterana Mundial FLM, among others.

Donors: ECHO.

- NGOs: CRC and CRV, Caritas, NRC, SJR, RET.

- International Organizations: UNHCR, PMA, OCHA, CICR.

- Institutional partners in Venezuela: Zona Educativa (representación local del Ministerio de Educación), Alcaldía Apure y Táchira.

- Institutional partners in Colombia: Secretaria de Educación Departamental Arauca, Alcaldía de Arauca, Personerías (Ministerio Publico).

Phase 1 17.09.2018 - 16.09.2019   (Completed)