USAID has been critical in providing Venezuela with aid in the form of food assistance, health care accessibility and water support. Due to the extreme political and economic crisis in the nation, millions of Venezuelans have fled to surrounding nations like Panama and Mexico, and the majority of those still in the nation live below the poverty line. To help resolve the crisis, the U.S. deployed an interagency collective to support economic and health development, with USAID being one of the primary bodies responsible. Since 2018, USAID has allocated almost $450 million in humanitarian aid and established USAID programs in Venezuela. In addition, the organization is continuing to establish multi-sector operations for health care, food and refugee assistance.

Food Insecurity

When the Venezuelan economy faced a hyperinflation crisis in 2017, food insecurity reached an all-time high. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s response was insufficient in combating the issue of national debt and decreasing oil revenue. In fact, as of 2020, at least 95% of Venezuelans lived below the poverty line. Venezuelans living in poverty are unable to purchase food and water, due to hyperinflated prices. Additionally, the Venezuelan government has not released any data on national food availability for more than a decade, deterring public programs and policies that could alleviate inaccessibility to food and water. 

In 2021, USAID and the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) partnered to establish operations in Venezuela, providing emergency food assistance to different groups. In April 2023, the operations added a program providing hot meals to public school children and staff and people with disabilities in three districts. In the same month, USAID also provided more than 450,000 Venezuelans with food assistance. USAID also funds nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to provide cooked meals and school meals. These USAID programs in Venezuela aim to reach more than 750,000 Venezuelans, as well as more than one million people in other Latin American countries.

Health Care

Over the past decade, Venezuela’s public health infrastructure has collapsed, with few health care providers, hospitals and medical supplies left. Even with outbreaks of infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and diphtheria, health care is often limited to a select few with life-threatening illnesses. Both infant and maternal mortality rates have doubled from 2012 to 2016. Moreover, the Venezuelan government has also not released any data on national health statistics since 2016, which weakened the ability to address health care needs. 

In 2022, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) announced in funding for Venezuelan developmental assistance. The funding was used to create a number of health care programs that would train community health workers, rebuild the infrastructure of community health systems and create emergency shelters. USAID/BHA and State/PRM also partnered with 30 organizations to implement USAID programs in Venezuela for mental health and psychosocial support, as well as victims of gender-based violence (GBV).

Migrant Support

More than 7 million Venezuelans have become refugees and migrants, due to political turmoil and economic depression. Venezuelan refugees and migrants have settled in Latin American countries like Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, which has affected the range of support those nations are able to provide. USAID’s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean is providing almost $31 million to facilitate the integration of Venezuelan migrants into host countries, and an additional $56 million for both Venezuela and host countries to create health care and protection services. In previous years, USAID also provided more than $90 million in funding to the VenEsperanza Emergency Response Consortium, an emergency response program providing humanitarian aid to Venezuelan migrants and host communities in Colombia. 

USAID Programs in Venezuela

USAID has been instrumental in addressing Venezuela’s crisis through extensive aid efforts in food assistance, health care and support for migrants. With more than $450 million allocated since 2018, USAID’s programs have provided crucial relief to millions in dire need. The initiatives include emergency food assistance, health care infrastructure rebuilding and support for victims of gender-based violence (GBV). As the Venezuelan population grapples with hyperinflation and political instability, USAID’s ongoing commitment and partnerships stand as a beacon of hope for a brighter future.

– Enne Kim
Photo: Flickr