Despite some signs of economic stabilization in recent years, food insecurity in Venezuela continues to affect many families across the country. Rising living costs and limited household incomes make it difficult for many people to consistently access nutritious food, particularly in vulnerable communities. According to the European Commission, approximately 40% of the population experiences moderate or severe food insecurity, and millions continue to require humanitarian assistance. In response, local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have become an important source of support through community kitchens, nutrition programs and other community-based initiatives.

Community Organizations

Community organizations play an important role in addressing this challenge through a combination of emergency assistance and long-term support. These initiatives combine immediate relief with strategies that help communities become more resilient over time. Community kitchens provide children with regular nutritious meals, while nutrition monitoring programs help identify cases of malnutrition before they become more severe. Many organizations also work closely with parents, volunteers and local leaders, strengthening networks that can respond quickly to families in need. Because these organizations are deeply rooted in the areas they serve, they often identify vulnerable households and tailor assistance to local needs.

Alimenta La Solidaridad

Founded in 2016, Alimenta La Solidaridad partners with local communities to operate community kitchens in neighborhoods facing high levels of food insecurity. Rather than operating as a traditional food distribution program, the organization relies on parents and other volunteers, who open their homes for community kitchens, prepare meals, organize daily activities and help manage each location. Volunteers also help create safe and welcoming spaces where children can receive nutritious meals on a regular basis. This locally led model allows the organization to respond to changing community needs while strengthening participation and shared responsibility.

In addition to providing nutritious meals, Alimenta La Solidaridad offers nutrition education and training for parents and caregivers, helping families build healthy eating habits despite limited resources. According to the organization, it has served more than 22 million meals and reached more than 43,000 beneficiaries through its community kitchens and community-based programs.

While Alimenta La Solidaridad focuses primarily on expanding access to nutritious meals, Caritas Venezuela addresses the issue from another angle by monitoring child nutrition and identifying families requiring immediate intervention. Together, these complementary approaches help address both the immediate and long-term effects of hunger and malnutrition.

Caritas Venezuela

Caritas Venezuela operates the SAMAN nutrition monitoring program, which regularly assesses the nutritional status of children under 5 and pregnant or breastfeeding women across the country. The program identifies cases of acute malnutrition, provides nutritional treatment and generates data that help humanitarian organizations understand where needs are greatest. Children identified with acute malnutrition receive nutritional follow-up and referrals to appropriate health and nutrition services, while the data collected helps humanitarian organizations identify communities where support is most urgently needed.

According to Caritas’ March 2026 SAMAN bulletin, the program assessed 2,486 children and found that 11.1% were experiencing acute malnutrition, while nearly 30% were either acutely malnourished or at risk of becoming so. The report also found that moderate and severe food insecurity had increased substantially among vulnerable households, underscoring the continuing need for targeted nutritional support.

Partnerships Reducing Food Insecurity in Venezuela

While local NGOs lead many community-based initiatives, partnerships with international organizations help expand their reach. The World Food Programme (WFP), for example, works with national and community partners to support school feeding, nutrition and food assistance programs while strengthening local capacities. By combining international resources and technical expertise with the community knowledge of Venezuelan organizations, these partnerships help extend assistance to vulnerable children and families who might otherwise be difficult to reach. According to WFP, its school meals program currently reaches more than 330,000 people across more than 1,100 schools, helping improve children’s nutrition while encouraging school attendance and supporting families in vulnerable communities.

Since resuming operations in Venezuela in 2021, WFP has expanded school feeding programs, supported the rehabilitation of school kitchens and worked with national and local partners to improve access to nutritious food. These partnerships demonstrate how international organizations and locally led initiatives can complement one another.

These locally led initiatives have become even more important as humanitarian funding remains constrained. According to the European Commission, Venezuela’s 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan received only 17% of the funding requested, reducing the resources available for humanitarian assistance across the country. Despite these constraints, organizations such as Alimenta La Solidaridad and Caritas Venezuela continue providing essential services by relying on volunteers, community partnerships and locally based networks. As international resources become more limited, community organizations have become an increasingly important bridge between humanitarian assistance and the families who depend on it.

Looking Ahead

Beyond providing food, these organizations help children remain healthy enough to attend school, reduce the long-term effects of malnutrition and strengthen communities’ ability to respond to future crises. Their work illustrates how locally driven solutions can complement national and international humanitarian efforts. Although these organizations cannot solve food insecurity in Venezuela on their own, they demonstrate the value of locally led solutions during prolonged economic hardship. As Venezuela continues to face economic and humanitarian challenges, sustained support from donors, humanitarian organizations and international partners can strengthen these efforts, helping more children and families gain access to nutritious food, health services and opportunities for a healthier future.

– Natalia Fleith Gelasko

Natalia is based in Berlin, Germany and focuses on Business and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr