Venezuela: Situation Report, September - October 2023 (27 Feb 2024)

HIGHLIGHTS

As of October 2023, the humanitarian response reached 2.1 million people (51% women) with some form of assistance in 24 states in Venezuela.

As of 30 November, US$347.1 million has been mobilized for humanitarian assistance, with the Humanitarian Response Plan funded up to 48.2%.

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators visited the state of Bolívar to learn about the progress of the humanitarian response.

The United Nations announced the creation of a Multi-Partner Trust Fund, upon request of the parties, to support the implementation of the Social Agreement.

The United Nations System celebrated United Nations Day in the country alongside the inhabitants of the Petare neighborhood and the Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

As of October 2023, the humanitarian response reached over 2.1 million people (51% women) with some form of assistance across 312 municipalities in the 24 states of Venezuela. The clusters that assisted the most people were: Health (1.6 million), Food Security and Livelihoods (629,000), and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (551,000). Over the past four months, the number of people reached has increased steadily, reaching approximately 200,000 people per month. Notably, mental health support rose, from 55,000 people reached in August to 62,000 people in October.

In October, Gianluca Rampolla, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC), visited the state of Bolivar for a week to witness first-hand the work carried out by the humanitarian community in coordination with the authorities.

On this occasion, he visited the municipality of El Callao, stopping at a water purification plant and the El Limón outpatient clinic, whose infrastructure was upgraded by humanitarian organizations in coordination with relevant authorities. The visit also included other health and food security projects implemented by UN agencies and humanitarian organizations. Similarly, he engaged in a dialogue with a group of women who work in artisanal mining, to learn about their reality and the challenges associated with this activity.

Mr. Rampolla also visited the Gran Sabana municipality, where he met with various indigenous communities and exchanged perspectives on the activities and impact of the humanitarian community's work within these communities.

Moreover, he visited an Agricultural Technical School, where the NGO TECHO is implementing a project with the support of the Venezuelan Humanitarian Fund (VHF). The RC attended the local coordination forum of Gran Sabana, a forum for the articulation of the humanitarian community, where challenges and opportunities for humanitarian response were analyzed. He met with the mayors of both municipalities to continue strengthening institutional coordination focused on assisting the most vulnerable population.

Mid-October, the delegations involved in the Venezuela dialogue process, established in Mexico City in 2021 with the facilitation of Norway, signed two partial agreements after a new meeting in Barbados. The first agreement is on the promotion of political rights and electoral guarantees and the second is for the protection of the country's vital interests.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the implementation of the Venezuelan-led agreements. Within the framework of these agreements, the U.S. Government announced a temporary license valid for six months to conduct transactions for the Venezuelan oil, gas, and gold industry. The renewal of this license is directly tied to compliance with the agreement on political rights and electoral guarantees.

Additionally, the United Nations announced the creation of a Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) upon request of the parties, to support the implementation of the Social Agreement reached in November 2022 as part of the dialogue process, with a focus on four specific areas. Following this announcement, the RC/HC met with the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and reiterated the UN's commitment to the implementation of the Social Agreement. The UN System in Venezuela commemorated the 78th anniversary of the organization by holding a number of activities

throughout the month, both inside and outside Caracas, culminating with a concert by the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Symphony Orchestra and various local musicians in the community of La Unión, in the Petare parish.