Venezuelaʼs political and economic crisis has led to the largest external displacement of people in the history of the Western Hemisphere. As of July 2022, more than seven million people, or one in every seven Venezuelans, have fled the country, leaving behind friends, family, their communities, and professional and cultural ties. More than 80 percent of Venezuelaʼs migrants have fled to other places in Latin America and the Caribbean, and nearly half are women, many of whom are traveling alone, placing them at particular risk of exploitation, social exclusion, abuse, and gender-based violence (GBV).
The influx of Venezuelan migrants has placed additional strain on already fragile healthcare systems, public services, labor markets, community relations, and infrastructure in the host countries where they have settled. Migrants struggle to access food, water, education, employment, and health care. They lack reliable sources of information and internet connectivity, and oen face xenophobia and violence in host communities.
