Venezuela
2020-06 Factsheet
June 2020
Aug 2020 > UNHCR, June 2020
Highlights
- During the second quarter of 2020, the Shelter Cluster, through member organisations, reached a total of 110,088 beneficiaries. Activities implemented from April through June 2020 had a coverage of seven states and Distrito Capital, being Táchira the state with the biggest humanitarian response amid COVID-19 pandemic, with 71,318 beneficiaries reached, followed by Zulia (15,338), Apure (13,129), Falcón (6,458) and Bolívar (2,265).
- Partners’ response was channelled towards supporting the Government-led Puntos de Atención Social Integral (PASI) with shelter support, energy and electrical renovations and NFI distributions.
- Despite assistance has been distributed since the beginning of the pandemic, the conditions of some shelter arrangements continue to be affected by long-term power shortages and limited access to other basic services, including water, in particular those located at the border municipalities.
- The heavy rains registered at the end of the second quarter of the year have worsened the power shortages, which are now longer in duration. Weather conditions, including rains together with the never-ending struggle against the rising level of rivers, have affected shelters located on the banks of rivers in several states, including Apure.
NFI
Shelter
Need analysis
- Despite Governmental protocols are under review and training sessions were provided to support the management of the PASIs targeting staff members, the increasing number of these shelter arrangements requires the continuation of capacity building and information session related activities, especially in the metropolitan area and border states. PASIs also require support in terms of shelter conditions, sanitation and hygiene, and access to equipment and NFIs, including maintenance of the electrical network and renovations.
- Due to the bigger number of COVID-19 cases, health centres need to increase their capacity to serve a greater number of patients, requiring the installation of housing units on a temporary basis.
Response
- Between April and June 2020, the Shelter Cluster, through member organisations, reached a total of 110,088 beneficiaries, covering seven states and Distrito Capital. 61% of the people reached were adults between 18 and 59 years (55% female and 45% male), followed by 33% of girls, boys and adolescents (52% female and 48% male), and 6% of adults aged more than 59 (50% female and 50% male).
- Most of the assistance was channelled towards supporting the Government-led PASIs in border areas with NFI and equipment distributions, including Apure, Táchira, Zulia and La Guaira, reaching 60,063 beneficiaries and included kitchen kits, mats, blankets, hygiene items (including antibacterial hand sanitiser, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste and toilet paper), stationery and solar lamps. Other NFI distributions, including kits, targeted 13,820 people on the move or people with specific needs, and included habitat kits, buckets, menstrual cups, jerrycans, mosquito nets, water purification tablets, blankets and mats. Solar lamp distributions reached a total of 6,015 people.
- 27,860 people benefitted from the installation of street solar lamps in public areas in Táchira. In Apure, 850 people benefitted from the installation of an electric generator.
- 949 people benefitted from a better access to shelter in Zulia and 533 people benefitted from capacity building and information sessions in Zulia, Falcón, Miranda and La Guaria, targeting the staff working at the PASIs.
Gaps / challenges
- Movement restrictions that were put in place due to the spread of the pandemic, together with reported limited access to gasoline have severely impacted the operations of partner organisations, and in particular those activities that require the transportation and delivery of NFIs to remote locations.
- Organisations continue implementing activities with no funds from the 2020 Response Plan, which leads to an important budget limitation.
- The response in some border states has been very limited compared to other areas. Despite of being a priority in terms of rising needs, there was no coverage in Sucre, Delta Amacuro nor Amazonas during the second quarter of 2020.
