Venezuela
Venezuela is experiencing a major humanitarian crisis, with roughly 7 million of its citizens having left the country in search of work, food, healthcare and other basic needs. Those left behind are facing an increasingly dire political and economic situation, with more than 7.7 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. In the past decade, the economy has declined 85% and poverty rates have risen, and the country has the lowest minimum wage in Latin America–leaving Venezuelans struggling to access and purchase basic supplies.
The country’s severe economic crisis has debilitated the healthcare system, with many health facilities lacking the basic supplies needed to provide primary healthcare and prevent and treat illnesses, including resurging communicable disease like tuberculosis, diphtheria, measles and malaria. Approximately two-thirds of the biggest hospitals in Venezuela do not have running water, but instead are forced to rely on water distributions from local governments and private companies a few times a week. The economic crisis also has led to severe shortages of personal protective equipment, intensive-care beds, medicines and personnel, as well as the lack of proper working conditions, leading thousands of doctors and nurses to migrate abroad in recent years. Pervasive hunger, malnutrition and lack of access to basic services are also causing infant and maternal mortality rates to skyrocket.
International Medical Corps deployed a team to Venezuela in March 2019 to assess humanitarian needs, as well as the operational environment for providing healthcare support. In September 2019, International Medical Corps earned registration as a Civil Association non-profit organization in Venezuela and was authorized to provide humanitarian services.
7.7 million
71 years
429%
The Challenges
Restricted Health Access
More than 8 million Venezuelans with deteriorated health conditions are struggling to receive healthcare, especially indigenous and rural, hard-to-reach communities. Shortages of medicines, medical equipment, and supplies, as well as limited staffing and insufficient health facilities, especially in remote areas, have left hospitals operating at severely reduced capacity as outbreaks of disease have risen precipitously.
Food Insecurity
Interruptions in the food-supply chain have put the most underserved populations, including infants and young children, at risk of malnutrition.
Infant and Maternal Health
With the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the region, infant and maternal mortality rates are skyrocketing as Venezuela’s medical infrastructure struggles to stay afloat.
Access to Clean and Safe Water
Most Venezuelans get their water from unsafe water treatment plants and less than one-third have readily accessible water, leaving Venezuelans in dire need of clean water and basic sanitation services. Many water systems are nonfunctional, with more than 4 million people in acute need of drinking water.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
Women and girls only have access to a thin patchwork of services to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), including abuse, neglect, and exploitation. In a culture where GBV has become normalized, the capacity of organizations that offer these services is insufficient.
Our Response
Primary Healthcare
Since we began our mission in Venezuela, International Medical Corps has strengthened the healthcare system by providing staff to conduct medical consultations and training sessions for health and non-health staff. Our teams have distributed more than $1.8 million of medical supplies, equipment and medicines to health facilities and communities, reaching 3.5 million people and more than 120 centers throughout Apure, Bolívar, Delta Amacuro, Distrito Capital, Falcón, La Guaira, Miranda, Sucre and Zulia.
Today, we provide essential health; mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS); specialized sexual and reproductive health; lifesaving maternal, newborn and child health services and GBV prevention and response services to underserved communities in Bolívar state, focusing on those most in need—women, children and indigenous communities.
In addition, specialized sexual and reproductive health and lifesaving maternal, newborn and child health services are being provided in the supported health facilities.
International Medical Corps has also deployed mobile medical units (MMUs) in Bolívar state, reaching indigenous populations by land and river, where community members must travel long distances to reach the nearest healthcare facility. Our teams provide temporary ambulatory and specialized health services with immunization, health promotion and disease screening.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Protection Services
International Medical Corps is implementing lifesaving programming to prevent and respond to GBV. Our work reduces the risk while supporting survivors of violence against women and girls through support services and activities designed to build community resilience to GBV. Our programs and our women’s and girls’ safe spaces in remote areas of Bolívar state have reached more than 9,000 beneficiaries.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS)
International Medical Corps has increased access to mental health care services throughout Gran Caracas and the states of La Guaira and Miranda. Our programs used community-based mental health care centers and their robust network of social workers to increase the availability and quality of mental health services at both the clinical and community levels.
Currently, International Medical Corps provides psychosocial support services in Bolívar state for adults with emotional stress and psychological distress. Moreover, we are conducting training sessions for frontline health workers on psychological first aid and basic mental health concepts. Our staff and volunteers also provide community members with key messages through awareness-raising activities.
Food Security and Livelihoods
International Medical Corps is providing food assistance to indigenous communities in Delta Amacuro state, through the distribution of food baskets to 13,000 children between the ages of 0 to 5 years old, enrolled in 61 schools located in rural settlements or in remote areas throughout the Orinoco River.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
International Medical Corps started working in 2023 to improve access to WASH in the community of Los Potocos, Barcelona, Anzoátegui State. Today, we continue to provide a safe high-quality supply of drinking water while our teams raise awareness of WASH issues with community members.