Attachments
In numbers
US$ 86.8 m six months (July-December 2020) net funding requirements, representing 78% of total needs over the period
284,995 people assisted in JUNE 2020
Operational Updates
• Food insecurity amidst the COVID-19 crisis: With Latin America and the Caribbean as the new COVID-19 hotspot, food insecurity is forecast to sharply rise in the entire region, including Colombia. Preliminary WFP estimates indicate that 10 million people could be at risk of food insecurity in Colombia, of which 3 million are projected to be severely food insecure. It is estimated that 84 percent of Venezuelan migrants in the country are at risk of food insecurity, up from the 55 percent pre-crisis levels.
• WFP’s response to COVID-19: Since the beginning of the crisis, WFP has received direct requests of assistance for over 1.2 million people across 13 departments. WFP has rapidly adapted and is providing immediate relief assistance to over 50,000 people newly affected by the socioeconomic consequences of COVID-19 across Colombia, with available resources; subject to funding, the Country Office is looking into reaching an additional 500,000 vulnerable people, including new urban centres and remote areas of the country, such as the Amazon region.
• Response to the Venezuelan migration crisis: Dire living conditions and an impossibility to afford basic services has prompted 84,000 Venezuelans to go back to their country; however, the Colombian migration authority estimates that once the COVID-19 crisis subsides, migration flows could surpass precrisis levels. Some 1.8 million migrants remain in the country with heightened vulnerabilities and increased humanitarian needs: 92 percent percent of migrants say food is their most urgent need, and only 26 percent of them report to eat three times a day (Joint Needs Assessment, GIFMM 2020). WFP supported over 185,000 migrants in June, including those intending to return, who received food kits as they made their journey to Venezuela or before crossing, as well as hot meals in shelters and health centers in several areas of the country.
• Support to victims of violence and disasters: According to OCHA, between January and May 2020, there were nearly 60,000 people confined or displaced, and over 43,000 affected by natural disasters across Colombia; COVID-19 poses a further risk for these already vulnerable populations. WFP continues supporting the most vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach areas, including in Chocó and the Catatumbo region in the north of the country. In June, WFP supported over 23,000 victims of violence and natural disasters with relief assistance.
• School Feeding: The distribution of take-home rations for over 110,000 schoolchildren continues, with both food baskets for meal preparation at home as well as prepackaged rations, in line with local guidelines. WFP continues to collaborate with the Ministry of Education regarding procedures and operational standards for school reopening from August onwards.