US announces new assistance to Venezuela and the region

By Caribbean News Global contributor

WASHINGTON, USA – On behalf of the United States, senior advisor for special political Affairs, ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, announced $247 million in humanitarian assistance and $89 million in economic and development assistance to respond to the needs of vulnerable Venezuelans.

“These funds will assist Venezuelans in their home country and Venezuelan refugees, migrants, and their host communities across the region”, said the press release attributed to Ned Price, US Department of State. “This amount includes nearly $120 million through the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, $216 million through the US Agency for International Development, and over $775,000 from the Inter-American Foundation.”

The US Department of State release said: “This announcement demonstrates our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our ongoing commitment to strengthening the international response to the crisis,” adding, “This assistance supports more than seven million of the most vulnerable Venezuelans with critical needs inside Venezuela, the nearly 5.7 million Venezuelans who have sought refuge in 17 countries across the region, and the host communities that have welcomed them.”

This new funding brings total US humanitarian, economic, development, and health assistance for the Venezuela crisis to more than $1.9 billion since 2017, including $1.65 billion in humanitarian assistance within Venezuela and in the region.

The United States says it “supports a wide range of life-saving humanitarian programs for Venezuelans, such as food assistance; emergency shelter; access to health care; water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies; support for livelihoods; COVID-19 support, and protection for vulnerable groups including women, youth, LGBTQI+, and indigenous people.

“US assistance also provides for democratic actors within Venezuela and long-term integration support for the communities that generously host Venezuelan refugees and migrants, including development programs to expand access to education, vocational opportunities, and public services,” said US Department of State.