Venezuela
2023-02 Factsheet - Venezuela
February 2023
Mar 2023 > Cluster Alojamiento, Energía y Enseres, 2023
Highlights
- The Shelter, Energy and NFI Cluster reached 5.831 direct beneficiaries through partner organizations and 13.030 indirect beneficiaries through interventions in institutions and community spaces providing essential services to population.
- The Shelter, Energy and NFIs Cluster Annual Report in Venezuela was released including the successful response from partner organizations, cluster strategic updates, and key challenges ahead.
- Project proposals for HRP in 2023 were strategically and technically reviewed by the Cluster and the ICG. 38 project proposals from 31 organizations were approved for the Shelter, Energy and NFI sector with a financial requirement of 54US$ million. An internal document will be released in March with the relevant updates.
- A meeting was held with the donors’ focal point for the Shelter Cluster in Venezuela. The critical problems, response needs, response highlights in 2022 and main areas for collaboration were presented, and commitments were stablished to bring information to the donor group in Venezuela and technically support the development of specific projects from the cluster.
NFI
Shelter
Need analysis
- The Humanitarian Needs Overview were updated, and an internal document was shared with the humanitarian community during February with the context evolution in 2022, impacts in the population and the provision of basic services and the severity of needs in different population groups. There were specific shelter needs identified for people on the move, limitations in access to energy accentuated in rural areas and with relevant impact on access to essential services and protection risks, and impacts associated with disasters associated with natural events.
- Reportedly, human trafficking of migrants has affected young women and girls without access to safe and dignified temporary shelter in border states such as Apure, Táchira, Zulia, Delta Amacuro, and Sucre. Together with Protection Cluster and its Human Trafficking TWG, the development of guidelines for shelter for victims of human trafficking has started.
- Coordination and liaison with disaster risk management authorities at national level is a priority. Shelter, Energy and NFI needs have been identified: immediate assistance for people who have lost their homes and NFIs, access to temporary shelter for affected population, support to integrate humanitarian actors in contingency plans, and capacity-building activities to official government institutions working in disaster prevention. In this regard, the Cluster participated – as support member - in a first meeting of the intersectoral WG of disaster response and management (led by OCHA).
Response
- In January and February 2023, 5,831 people (50% women and 50% men) were benefited directly by the accommodation in temporary shelters and the distribution of non-food items. More than 13,000 people benefited from lighting, power supply and basic non-food items in spaces that provide services to the population (indirect beneficiaries of the response).
- Cluster interventions covered the prioritized HRP states of Bolivar, Apure, Zulia, Delta Amacuro and Miranda, the transit and border states of Barinas and Tachira, and the state of Carabobo with populations of interest to partner organizations.
- 2,024 people were housed in temporary spaces in Táchira, Zulia, Apure and Falcón, two schools and community spaces were built and rehabilitated in the State of Miranda, and an emergency housing unit was installed to strengthen the response of authorities working in disaster risk prevention.
- Lighting was provided through the installation of 18 solar street lamps to mitigate protection risks in public spaces, and two energy generation systems were installed to benefit vulnerable people through community spaces.
- Provisions were made in seven spaces in Bolívar, Táchira and Barinas, including the delivery of 55 solar lamps and other equipment for organizations in charge of preventing and mitigating risks associated with disasters; items for indigenous community kitchens; and the delivery of agricultural tool kits to promote livelihoods in vulnerable communities.
Gaps / challenges
- Response capacities of partner organizations to provide timely assistance in the face of existing vulnerability situations in temporary shelters are limited. Cluster advocacy actions within the coordination forum and at the inter-cluster level continue, to improve housing conditions and access to basic services (electricity, energy for cooking, water) in these spaces.
- From local/national partners, a significant gap has been identified related to the lack of knowledge of the various funding mechanisms available to humanitarian organizations. More actions are needed to inform and make visible the available funding sources and the ways to access them.
