translated from Spanish: THE UN requested 200 million euros to provide humanitarian aid to 2.6 million people in Venezuela

The United Nations on Wednesday requested $223 million (about 200 million euros) to deliver humanitarian aid to 2.6 million people in Venezuela, as part of the political and economic crisis in the South America Anus. From the Office of the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela he noted in a statement that the Humanitarian Response Plan for the country “is an important tool for coordinating humanitarian aid” prepared by UN agencies and national NGOs and after consultations with the Government and the National Assembly.” The plan responds to the most pressing needs, with a focus on the health sectors; water, sanitation and hygiene; protection; nutrition; food security; accommodation and accommodation; education,” he said. In this regard, the agency has stressed that this plan “is an effort to alleviate the most acute needs of the most vulnerable groups” and “not a solution to the crisis in Venezuela”. In this way, it has defined that the strategic objectives are to “ensure the survival and well-being of the most vulnerable people”, to “promote and strengthen the protection and dignity of the most vulnerable groups” and to “strengthen the resilience of people”. The UN has detailed that this response aims to cover “the needs of the most vulnerable groups” through nearly a hundred projects to be developed across the country. However, ten states will be priority: Amazonas, Apure, Bolívar, Carabobo, Delta Amacuro, Capital District, Miranda, Sucre, Táchira, and Zulia.This is why the UN humanitarian coordinator in Venezuela, Peter Grohman, has asked the parties for their commitment to implement the plan and stressed that “since 2018, UN agencies and their partners have been expanding the humanitarian response and operational capacity in the country.” This Humanitarian Response Plan is an important platform to further expand the humanitarian space in Venezuela and help those most in need,” he said.” I urgently call on donors to support this plan and at the same time I call on the Venezuelan authorities and various sectors of society to work together and commit themselves to helping Venezuelans in need of assistance,” Added. POLICY CRISISThe political crisis in Venezuela escalated on January 10, when Nicolás Maduro decided to start a six-year second term that recognizes neither the opposition nor much of the international community because they consider the elections to be presidential elections on 20 May 2018 were a fraud. In response, the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, proclaimed himself interim representative on January 23 with the aim of ceasing “usurpation”, creating a transitional government and holding “free elections”. It has been recognized by the United States, numerous Latin American countries, as well as several Europeans, including Spain.In the meantime, more than four million Venezuelans have left the country in recent years because of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. The United Nations has warned that, if the trend continues, more than five million could be added by the end of 2019.

Original source in Spanish