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UNICEF Venezuela/2020/Pocaterra UNICEF VENEZUELA Humanitarian Situation Report January 2020 © UNICEF Venezuela/2020/Pocaterra Reporting Period: 1 January to 31 January 2020 Highlights Situation in Numbers • After joint actions carried out by UNICEF, PAHO and the Ministry of Health, on 30 January 2020, the measles outbreak was declared under control in Venezuela. 3,200,000 children in need of • With UNICEF’s support, a routine yellow fever immunization campaign was humanitarian assistance carried out in 18 remote communities of the state of Bolivar, reaching over (OCHA August 2019) 1,200 people. • UNICEF and partners enabled water treatment at household level for 7,000,000 22,070 people living in three states (Bolivar, Miranda and Capital District) people in need to provide access to safe water. (OCHA August 2019) • UNICEF and partners provided individual and group psychosocial support 4,800,000 activities to 1,822 children and 121 caregivers. Also, 10,062 vulnerable and at-risk children received specialized child protection services including refugees and migrants from case management and legal support. Venezuela worldwide (Regional Inter-Agency • A total of 44,259 children received learning materials in 143 public schools Coordination Platform, located in highly vulnerable sectors of Miranda state and Caracas Capital February 2020) District. In addition, 2,283 teachers were trained on pedagogical strategies, which will be implemented with the use of UNICEF learning kits. UNICEF Appeal 2020 • UNICEF’s Response and Funding Status US$ 153.2 million Micronutrient 2% Funding Status (in US$) Supplementation Funding status 37% Nutrition Measles vaccination 0% Carry- forward, Health Funding status 35% $37.6M Safe water access 4% Funding WASH Funding status 19% gap, $115.6M MHPSS access 1% Child Funding status 34% Protection Education access 4% Funding status 19% Education 0% 50% 100% *Funding available includes funds received against the Venezuela 2020 HAC appeal launched in 5 December 2019. Results reported refer to one sector indicator only, while funding status refers to the funding status of the whole sector. 1 Funding Overview and Partnerships The UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) for January-December 2020 appeals for US$153.2 million to meet the needs of 2.6 million people in Venezuela, of which 1.7 million are girls, boys and adolescents. As of January 2020, UNICEF had a carry-over of US$37.6 million to support the implementation of child protection, education, health, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, as well as operational and logistic support costs related to the delivery of this assistance. UNICEF expresses its sincere gratitude to all public and private donors for contributions received. However, a 75 per cent funding gap exists for the 2020 HAC and UNICEF calls upon the international community to provide additional and flexible support to scale-up UNICEF´s response. Without sufficient funding, UNICEF will not be able to support critical activities such as school feeding, which is key for retention and good school performance. In addition, funds are required for WASH interventions in schools and hospitals to tackle infections and preventable diseases and to protect children from all forms of abuse. Finally, UNICEF Venezuela underscores the urgent need of resources to purchase vaccines to ensure continuity of the routine immunization programme nationwide. Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs Fuel shortages persist in the states of Táchira, Zulia and Bolivar, spiking black market prices up to US$0.70 per litre. In the state of Zulia, illegal merchants have used children and adolescents to sell gasoline in the black market. In Táchira state, the rise of fuel prices on the black market has caused protests while in Bolivar, fuel shortages have spiked public transportation fares, which in turn has dropped school attendance and left hospitals and primary health centres understaffed of doctors, nurses and other professionals. Moreover, in Bolivar state, health workers have unilaterally cut the number of working days per week from five to three to reduce the amount of salary spent on transportation fees. UNICEF operations in Zulia and Táchira have been impacted by challenges regarding regular access to gasoline. Additionally, local currency devaluation has exacerbated, and hyperinflation continues to ramp up, directly impacting the purchasing power of the population. The use of foreign currencies, particularly US dollars, has increased significantly. Economists suggest that during 2020, over 60 per cent of transactions will take place in US dollars, reducing operations conducted in local currency.1 Following concerns surrounding the election of the president of the National Assembly on 5 January 2020, the UN Secretary-General called on all actors to take immediate steps to lower tensions and to work towards a peaceful and sustainable solution to the political crisis.2 Summary Analysis of Programme Response Nutrition UNICEF’s own data collection and nutritional information for December 2019 and January 2020 estimates a 6.3 per cent prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) (including moderate acute malnutrition -MAM 4.7 per cent and severe acute malnutrition -SAM 1.6 per cent), while stunting among children under five stands at 26.4 per cent.3 Nutrition status in pregnant adolescent girls and women was reported at 34.2 per cent underweight and 22.5 per cent overweight,4 both of which could increase maternal and child morbidity. According to the 2020 planning process, UNICEF aims at screening 763,750 children under five and pregnant and lactating adolescent girls and women (PLW) in 24 states. During January, UNICEF trained 38 health staff and 23 communication promoters from the states of Carabobo, Lara, Barinas and Portuguesa on nutrition interventions coupled with WASH actions in 36 schools, primary health centres as well as communities. Starting mid-February trained staff will begin putting in practice in primary and preschool centres the skills learned to reduce malnutrition cases and to refer relevant cases to health centres for proper case treatment. In addition, UNICEF and Institute Proinapsa, carried out a best practice session with breastfeeding experts from different states of the country. The 27 participating experts reviewed culturally sensible breast-feeding techniques for mothers 1 ‘Uso masificado del dólar será el protagonista de la economía en 2020.’ CronicaUno. 4 December 2019. <https://cronica.uno/uso-masificado-del- dolar-sera-el-protagonista-de-la-economia-en-2020/> Accessed 6 January 2020. 2 Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General - on Venezuela. Un Secretary General – Statements. 6 January 2020. <https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2020-01-06/statement-attributable-the-spokesman-for-the-secretary-general-venezuela-scroll- down-for-spanish>. Accessed 12 February 2020. 3 Data collected during interventions in different communities or health centres. UNICEF’s proportion of malnutrition has been calculated using the Anthro software based on WHO references. Data is therefore not representative at national or sub-national level. Average reporting by month was 12,000 records (children under five) and 1,280 (pregnant women). 4 30 per cent of underweight pregnant women are adolescents. 2 that will help design a Training of Trainers (ToT) on counselling regarding community-based infant and young child feeding. Training will begin in March 2020. Health After joint actions carried out by UNICEF, PAHO and the Ministry of Health (MoH), the measles outbreak that began in July 2017 was declared under control on 30 January 2020.5 In January, UNICEF continued to support expanded programme on immunization (EPI) activities without interruption. Current amounts of vaccines nationwide, including UNICEF’s stocks and available resources, are estimated to ensure coverage only until March 2020. To address this situation, UNICEF and partners, in coordination with PAHO, are focusing on resource mobilization to finance the needs for 2020. Following one confirmed case of yellow fever, UNICEF reached over 1,200 people with vaccines through a yellow fever routine immunization campaign carried out in 18 remote communities of Bolivar state. UNICEF-supported maternal and neonatal health care activities continued in hospitals and outpatient facilities in five states. During 2020 the intervention will expand to 13 states. This extension is currently being planned for the states of Anzoátegui, Lara, Falcon and Trujillo, and is materializing for Apure and Delta Amacuro states. WASH During the reporting period, UNICEF continued supporting vulnerable children and their families in key areas, with access to safe water, infection prevention and control initiatives at hospital level and distribution of 1,200 essential hygiene kits, to increase the risk awareness on hygiene and water-borne diseases. UNICEF and partners enabled water treatment at household level for 22,070 people living in three states (Bolivar, Miranda and Distrito Capital). Likewise, UNICEF rehabilitated water supply systems in rural communities and medium-scale cities6 reaching 16,400 people with daily access to safe water. Additionally, to ameliorate dramatic shortages of clean water in communities and as part of the communication for development (C4D) strategy UNICEF worked with communities to promote storage and treatment of water through distribution of household filters, hygiene kits, and water tanks, allowing communities
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