More than one million children will require access to basic services this year because of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said in a press release on Friday.
“As a result of the Venezuela migrant crisis, an estimated 1.1 million children – including children uprooted from Venezuela, as well as returnees and those living in host and transit communities – will need protection and access to basic services across Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019,” the release said.
UNICEF noted that the projection marks an increase from some 500,000 children in need today.
It added that its humanitarian partners predict that some 4.9 million people in the region – including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago – will need assistance in 2019 because of the crisis in the Latin American country.
“The UN children’s agency also called on Governments in the region to uphold the rights of all children, including migrants and refugees, and to ensure their access to essential services,” UNICEF said, stressing that as the Venezuelan crisis continues, the number of migrants is increasing and vital services in host and transit countries “are coming under additional strain.”
Uprooted children and their families face difficulties regularizing their immigration status, a factor that can limit their access to social protection, health care and education, UNICEF said.
“Meanwhile, the lack of comprehensive public policies on migratory issues in host countries is putting children at higher risk of discrimination, violence, family separation, xenophobia, exploitation and abuse,” it added.
UNICEF is also worried about reports of xenophobia, discrimination and violence against Venezuelan children and families in host communities, the release continued.
“Some migrants – including unaccompanied and separated children, pregnant women, nursing mothers as well as indigenous people – are at increased risk,” it said. “Registering children on the move is the first step in guaranteeing their rights. Information resulting from the registration process also provides States with valuable information to better plan and budget their response.”
Venezuela has been suffering from a severe political crisis for around two months, after Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido illegally proclaimed himself interim president, contesting the re-election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last year.
Guaido immediately received support from the United States, which has also denounced Maduro’s re-election, along with a number of other countries. China, Cuba, Russia and a number of other countries have endorsed Maduro as Venezuela‘s only legitimate president.
