Venezuela: Situation Report, July - August 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

• Between January to August, the humanitarian response reached 1.8 million people (59 % women) in 24 states.
• The humanitarian response in Venezuela has mobilized US$126 million until September 27, 2024, representing 17 % of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
• The humanitarian community in Venezuela commemorated World Humanitarian Day
• The Venezuela Humanitarian Fund launched a standard allocation of U$8 million to support a multi-sector response.

BACKGROUND

Situation Overview

As of 31 August, the humanitarian response reached 1.8 million people (59 % women and 41 % men) in 298 municipalities in 24 states. Thanks to the work of 148 humanitarian organizations, more than one million children and adolescents (C&A) have been assisted. The clusters that impacted the most people until August are: Health (993,000 people), Food Security and Livelihoods (583,000 people), and Protection (425,000 people).

During this period, the country faces heavy rainfall due to tropical waves during the hurricane season, which is forecast to affect the territory until the end of November. The Vice Ministry of Risk Management and Civil Protection activated the 2024 Rainfall Contingency Plan as part of the National Risk Management Plan. So far this year, 33 tropical waves have already passed, causing around 50 emergency events related to floods, landslides, and damage to infrastructure, mainly in the states of Amazonas, Apure, Barinas, Bolívar, Delta Amacuro, Falcón, Lara, Mérida, Sucre, and Zulia.

Local Coordination Forums (LCF) and the Emergency Preparedness and Response Group (EPRG) monitor threats and inform the humanitarian community about their evolution. They have also updated contingency plans for a coordinated response if national and local authorities require support.

Moreover, on August 15, the National Assembly unanimously passed NGOs and Related Organizations Supervision, Regularization, Action, and Financing Bill. This has fueled uncertainty and concern among humanitarian organizations. Although it has yet to be sign into Law and enter into force, local authorities have begun to interpret the Bill discretionarily, which leads to confusion and difficulties in access and coordination in some territories.

On 19 August, World Humanitarian Day, an awareness campaign was launched on social media under the hashtag #ActuaPorLaHumanidad. Over 15 humanitarian organizations participated in producing and disseminating audiovisual materials, highlighting the importance and impact of humanitarian work in the country. In an appreciation message, the Humanitarian Coordinator, Gianluca Rampolla, thanked the humanitarian personnel for their commitment and dedication, stressing the relevance of their work to improve the living conditions of the communities that need it most.

Funding

• As of 27 September, Venezuela’s HRP is the least funded globally, with 17 % of the required funding (US$126 million). In 2024, the Plan requires US$617 million to implement 128 projects with a multi-sector response for 5.1 million people (56 % women, 24 % girls). Donors typically report funding in the second half, resulting in increases around October/November. So far, the 2024 response has depended on the 2023 cash flow, making financing urgent to continue implementation.
• A lack of financing can leave the population in vulnerable conditions without critical assistance in protection, food security, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, and nutrition. It is necessary to continue supporting the response by financing the HRP and the Venezuela Humanitarian Fund (VHF) and the flexibility of funds to conduct humanitarian activities relevant to the context.
• In August, the VHF made two allocations: a standard allocation of US$8 million to support a multi-sector response focused on improving access to health, nutrition, and protection services in hard-to-reach communities in Apure, Bolívar, Delta Amacuro, Miranda, and Zulia, and a reserve allocation of US$1 million to provide vital humanitarian assistance.

Coordination

During July and August, interagency coordination efforts continued to consolidate emergency preparedness and response actions, humanitarian access actions, awareness-raising on humanitarian principles, and accountability for affected populations.

The Humanitarian Access Task Force (HATF) continued to monitor access in all states. Given the enactment of the new Social Security Pension Protection Bill, the HATF, with the support of legal advisors, prepared a document on the ‘Main Labor, Tax, and Compliance Obligations of NGOs’ to guide organizations on the legal requirements to be met.

Given the approval of the NGOs and Related Organizations Supervision, Regularization, Action, and Financing Bill by the National Assembly on August 15, the HATF, together with the Protection Cluster and legal advisors of organizations, has prepared a Q&A document to facilitate understanding. This resource is being distributed through the LCFs and the Intercluster Group to support humanitarian organizations, particularly smaller organizations that do not have legal assistance.

For its part, the Intercluster Group has laid down standard criteria for the memberships of organizations in the clusters based on the level of commitment to, participation in, and performance of collective agreements. The terms of reference have been updated, and most co-leaders and co-coordinators representing humanitarian organizations and the new Strategic Advisory Groups (SAGs) members have been selected.

The LCFs continue to monitor the humanitarian situation in various states, communicating with public institutions to ensure activities in the post-election period. Significant efforts have been made to increase the multisectoral and intersectional response in the prioritized municipalities based on a joint analysis, which incorporates the centrality of protection and cross-cutting areas. In several states, Contingency Plans for emergency response have been updated, and state coordination protocols have been reviewed.

The Humanitarian Communication Group (HCG) and the HATF have actively engaged in coordination settings to share information on key messages of the Humanitarian Country Team in the post-election period and on the protocols determined by the Office of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for humanitarian personnel. The HCG has kept its commitment to awareness-raising on humanitarian principles, implementing the “Humanitarian Principles in Action” campaign monthly to reinforce its importance in the humanitarian community, especially in the current context.

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Working Group (EPRWG) has initiated the National Contingency Planning for rains with the participation of cluster coordinators, United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programs, international and national organizations, and the Red Cross Movement. Coordination and liaison with the institutions of the National Risk Management and Civil Protection System are constant, and several organizations have built national capacity by providing supplies and equipment and supporting the training of Civil Protection staff.

About the Contact Line, 15,930 comments have been recorded, a decrease of 16 % compared to the same period in 2023. Furthermore, the trend continues that most (64 %) feedback comes from women between 18 and 59 years old. The predominant communication channels remain non-digital ones, such as face-to-face conversations and suggestion boxes. The channels are 96% managed and attended to, with an average response time of 2.3 days.

Based on the feedback received, capacity-building activities have been implemented for humanitarian actors, especially regarding communication strategies with communities and the community approach based on humanitarian principles. Interagency exchanges are promoted to comprehensively address the needs and strategies for closing implementations.

In these reporting months, the AAP Working Group has focused on building organizations’ capacities, particularly in understanding and adapting the accountability approach, identifying the main sector challenges, and encouraging a people-centered approach.

Lastly, during the reporting period of the Gender Equality Network (GEN), 22 member organizations participated in a rapid analysis of humanitarian needs with a differentiated approach performed by UN Women. They found that:

(1) psychological and emotional abuse that mainly affects women (73 %), adolescents (64 %), and LGBTIQ+ people (41 %);

(2) adult women and adolescents (64 %) are the most impacted by GBV, along with LGBTIQ+ people (32 %);

and (3) discrimination and stigmatization, including denial of access to services, opportunities, and humanitarian aid. Women, girls, and adolescents (46 %) face more significant barriers, followed by men and LGBTIQ+ people (27 %).

The RIG stresses that coordination spaces with gender work plans have been doubled by incorporating focal points in clusters and most LCFs. Progress has been made in integrating the gender perspective into the work plans of the clusters, thus ensuring gender mainstreaming in a large part of the humanitarian programming cycle.

Logistics

During July and August, the Logistics Cluster made progress in building logistics capabilities within the framework of humanitarian work. In July, the final report of the Emergency Logistics Preparedness Workshop held in June was published, detailing activities, lessons learned, and future steps to improve logistics preparedness for stakeholders.

In August, the Logistics and Food Security Clusters held an introductory session on food safety and quality, presenting practices to guarantee nutritional quality, prevent losses, and mitigate food risks. In anticipation of the rainy season, a new mobile application was launched that maps fuel availability and road accessibility. This tool informs the LogIE platform and optimizes the distribution of logistics information in real time. It is currently in beta testing, with plans to expand to the entire community.

Finally, to commemorate the International Day of Indigenous Peoples on August 9, the Logistics Cluster, in conjunction with the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster, consulted with humanitarian sector partners to identify the challenges humanitarian organizations face in assisting Indigenous communities. The results of this analysis, along with recommendations, will be shared in September.