Three million people have fled Venezuela since 2015: UN

12, Nov 2018

The United Nations recently stated that around three million Venezuelans have fled “economic and political crisis” in the country since 2015, the Guardian reported. New data indicates that around one in 12 Venezuelans has left due to hyperinflation, shortages of medication and food, and violence. According to William Spindler, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the rate of migration has increased in the last six months. In September, data from the UN indicated that 2.6 million Venezuelans had escaped to neighbouring countries in Latin America. There are one million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Colombia, and around 3,000 more people reach every day. Peru has taken in more than 500,000 Venezuelans, with more than 220,000 in Ecuador. Eduardo Stein, UNHCR-IOM joint special representative for Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the region, has said, “Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have largely maintained a commendable open-door policy,” adding, “However, their reception capacity is severely strained, requiring a more robust and immediate response from the international community.”