U.S. Assistance for Venezuela Regional Crisis

FACT SHEET

OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON

MARCH 23, 2023

The United States is the largest single donor for the humanitarian response to the Venezuela regional crisis, providing assistance that supports refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable populations of concern.  More than 7.7 million people inside Venezuela need immediate humanitarian assistance and more than 6 million Venezuelans have been displaced in 17 countries across the region since 2015.

During the 2023 International Conference in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants and their Host Countries and Communities in Brussels, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced more than $140 million in additional humanitarian assistance and more than $31 million in development assistance to help respond to the Venezuela regional crisis.  This assistance includes more than $56 million through the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and more than $115 million through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  This brings total U.S. assistance for the response to the Venezuela regional crisis to more than $2.8 billion since 2017, including more than $2.5 billion in humanitarian assistance and $387 million in development assistance.

This assistance from the American people makes good on the Los Angeles Declaration commitment to support countries hosting large populations of displaced migrants and refugees.  It supports the most vulnerable Venezuelans with their critical needs. 

• With this assistance, the United States supports a wide range of life-saving humanitarian and development programs for Venezuelans and their host communities, such as food assistance; emergency shelter; access to health care including psychosocial support; water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies; support for livelihoods; and protection for vulnerable groups including women, youth, LGBTQI+ individuals, and indigenous people. Our assistance also includes integration support in the communities throughout the region generously hosting Venezuelan refugees and migrants.  It complements the efforts of the host communities in 17 countries that have generously supported vulnerable Venezuelans, namely: Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
• USAID humanitarian assistance inside Venezuela supports a multi-sectoral response and provides critically needed food and nutrition assistance, healthcare and access to basic health supplies, water and hygiene support, and protection programming.
• USAID humanitarian assistance in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru supports food assistance including hot meals, cash transfers, and food vouchers for Venezuelan migrants, refugees, and host communities.
• PRM funds international organization and NGO partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to provide critical aid, such as access to health services, education, shelter, and protection services, including child-friendly spaces, community-based mental health and psychosocial support, gender-based violence prevention and case management, and legal assistance to Venezuelan refugees and migrants.
• PRM humanitarian assistance and USAID development assistance support Colombia’s regularization process for Venezuelans, with more than 1.6 million approved applications to date.
• USAID development assistance will facilitate the socio-economic integration of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and Ecuador.
• USAID development assistance will continue to assist civil society organizations, human rights organizations, independent media outlets, and other democratic actors so they may continue to serve those who remain in Venezuela.

For more information on U.S. assistance for the Venezuela regional crisis, please see the latest fact sheet.

The United States is committed to working collaboratively with governments, civil society, international organizations, and other partners to help protect vulnerable groups, to address the root causes of irregular migration, and to humanely manage migration in the Western Hemisphere. The United States implements rigorous safeguards against diversion of funds and other risks and works through trusted organizations that ensure assistance reaches those who need it.

Latina Republic is a reporting, research, and advocacy nonprofit organization advancing human rights in the Americas. Latina Republic fills the void in coverage of urgent social, political, environmental, economic and gender inequities affecting the Americas. Latina Republic’s mission is to inspire humane policies that fortify relations between the U.S. and Latin America. Our work is guided by peaceful international relations focused on solidarity. We believe asylum and seeking refuge is a human right. Our work envisions a world where neighboring countries are seen as partners, and immigrants and refugees don’t have to live in the shadows. Our goal is to advance peaceful dialogue by highlighting local perspectives that don’t make it into the mainstream news. Our vision is that this knowledge will assist all stakeholders in solving regional problems while strengthening ties.