Venezuela
2023-12 Factsheet - Venezuela
December 2023
Jan 2024 > Cluster Alojamiento, Energía y Enseres, 2023
Highlights
- By the end of December, the Shelter, Energy and NFI Cluster reached 31,699 direct beneficiaries and 808,877 indirect beneficiaries through partners interventions in institutions and community spaces providing essential services to population: temporary shelters, education, health, and community centers, among others.
- In November, the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) process took place. The Shelter, Energy, and NFI sector aims to highlight critical aspects to enhance the quality of life for 2.3 million people in need and foster resilience.
- During December, the Cluster validated 24 project proposals (20 intersectoral and 4 sectoral) for HRP 2024 from 25 partner organizations (15 national NGOs, 6 international NGOs and 4 UN Agencies) and benefiting more than 700,000 people. Proposals will be approved by the HC prior to publication of the HRP.
- The "Energy Week 2023" took place during May. Workshops were held on solar photovoltaic energy and solar pumping, and the first edition of the "Energy Week Forum” was held as a closing event. During this event, participants from humanitarian organizations, private sector and public sector institutions shared projects, experiences and good practices that have generated energy solutions in Venezuela.
- The Cluster worked alongside CRAterre to produce a guide for the dissemination and promotion of local practices on safe construction, piloted in a community of Táchira State. The forum “Construction techniques for a sustainable and resilient habitat" was organized as part of the joint work with CRAterre. During this event, more than 130 participants from humanitarian organizations, academia and emergency response institutions shared projects and experiences to create a sustainable and resilient habitat.
- In coordination with the Vice Ministry of Risk Management and Civil Defense and the Cluster Lead Agency, 124 officials from the Civil Protection and Fire Departments at national level were trained on minimum Sphere Manual shelter standards, Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis and protection in emergencies and temporary shelters. The strengthening of these institutions expanded emergency preparedness and response capacity to disasters.
- The Subnational cluster of Amazonas, Apure and Barinas states was officially activated. The main objective of these coordination spaces is to address the needs of vulnerable population by strengthening partners capacities, promoting synergies, and mitigating duplications.
- As a result of the NFI task force, a new catalog was developed with two basic standardized kits: habitat or domestic kit, and mobility kit. The kits are composed of minimum items and optional items adapted to the context and needs identified in the field.
- The Guide on Temporary Shelters for Victims of Human Trafficking in Venezuela was published as part of a collaborative effort between the Shelter Cluster and the Working Group on the Prevention and Response to Trafficking in Persons established under the Protection Cluster. The guidelines are intended to facilitate the establishment of shelters for victims of human trafficking by humanitarian actors.
NFI
Shelter
Need analysis
- According with the HNO, in the area of Energy, power interruptions profoundly impact daily life, ranging from household to educational, commercial, and health activities. According to th
- As part of the HNO process and for the first-time, data on humanitarian needs was collected through more than 14,000 surveys with key informants conducted at the community level. With the information analyzed at the municipality level, the most vulnerable specific population groups were identified, as well as the difficulties of access to shelter, energy and NFIs, and an intersectoral geographic prioritization was agreed upon.
- The number of people in need (PIN) has increased by 15% compared to 2022-2023, primarily due to communities' vulnerability to natural disasters such as floods and electricity interruptions. Damaged homes, overcrowding, and lack of basic supplies are identified as key needs.
- In the energy sector, continuous power outages significantly impact daily life, affecting households, education, commerce, and health activities. These outages lead to critical situations, hindering refrigeration, food preparation, and causing psychosocial implications.
- Access to domestic gas is challenging, with 33% facing difficulties, leading to the widespread use of firewood and health issues. Insufficient supplies, particularly sleeping articles, pose problems for 25% of key informants, impacting habitability and mental health.
- Human mobility dynamics and temporary shelters require strengthening existing spaces and creating new ones for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking. Scarce of temporary shelters during emergencies and the lack of standards in certain municipalities emphasize the need for immediate action.
- Educational centers used as shelters negatively affect children in emergencies, highlighting the necessity to identify alternative spaces. The housing improvement sector faces severe damages, overcrowding, and flooding, particularly in high-risk areas, calling for urgent resources to build or improve homes.
Response
- During 2023, the partners' interventions reached 840,576 people, 31,699 of whom received direct assistance (51% corresponded to women, 17% to indigenous people, and 2% to people with disabilities). The response covered the Capital District and 15 states, of which Táchira, Apure, Miranda and Mérida had the highest number of people reached.
- Regarding the shelter response, 115 construction and rehabilitation were carried out in community spaces/centers, schools, safe spaces for women, girls and adolescents, institutional spaces for authorities, temporary shelters, and health centers. In addition, 135 RHU were installed to strengthen the authorities' response to disasters, and to improve health, community and education centers. Also, spaces were set up to provide assistance for communities and waystations for people in mobility were strengthened.
- In the area of Energy, in order to mitigate protection risks in communities, 589 solar street lamps and 169 photovoltaic systems were installed to generate electricity in community centers, health centers, temporary shelters, institutional spaces for authorities, as well as in public and educational spaces.
- More than 15,000, including people affected by disasters, floods and landslides, received basic NFIs. A total of 3,208 standardized kits and 3,923 portable solar lamps were delivered to cover their basic needs.
Gaps / challenges
- Despite identifying needs for construction and repair of individual shelters, the response remains significantly limited, achieving only 6% of the 2023 target for beneficiaries in housing construction and rehabilitation. This limitation primarily stems from the high operational costs associated with these interventions.
- The sector funding reached 26.1% by the end of 2023, which generated the main constraint to reach the target established within the HRP. Insufficient funding has restricted interventions in remote areas (operational and logistical costs are elevated), where humanitarian needs have been identified in terms of access to energy and NFIs.
- The states of Amazonas, Delta Amacuro, and Zulia have been identified as having the most critical sectoral needs, particularly in the absence of basic services— especially electricity, overcrowded housing conditions, and vulnerability to disasters. However, difficulties persist in addressing the needs in these entities, with only 15%, 29%, and 31% of the respective targets being met.
- In terms of emergency response to natural events, only 10% of the target of providing temporary shelter and 15% of the target to benefit people through the distribution of basic NFIs was reached. Strengthening partners' emergency response capacities and coordinating with the competent authorities is a priority in order to reach a greater number of people.
