UNHCR in A LOOK BACK AT 2018

Protecting , asylum- seekers and other persons of concern by making their communities stronger

Contents

3 A message from UNHCR’s Representative in Venezuela

4 Community Based Protection

6 Community Based Protection in fgures in 2018

8 Protecting children and survivors of SGBV

12 SGBV and Child Protection. Our results in 2018

14 International Protection, Working with Authorities

15 Status Determination, Documentation and Repatriation

16 Prevention of

18 Protection and Safe Spaces Networks

19 Puppetry shows that health matters

20 Country Map and Contacts

23 UNHCR Venezuela’s Impact in 2018

24 UNHCR a brief history 2 • UNHCR in Venezuela • A message from UNHCR’s Representative in Venezuela vulnerable populations in the country. A message In Venezuela, since refugees and other per- sons of concern to UNHCR live within the com- munities, UNHCR’s programmes have been in the from UNHCR’s form of community based projects in protection, education, health and water/sanitation, targeting Representative host communities, and aimed at ensuring pacifc coexistence between refugees and their hosts. Much as we have been ambitious in extending in Venezuela support to most of our benefciary population, logistical challenges and security concerns in some communities limited our access. In 2018, There couldn’t have been a more symbolic sign we were only able to operate in 90 communi- depicting the state of affairs in Venezuela than the ties out of the 110 communities, mainly in the earthquake that welcomed me on my frst day in border areas with and Brazil, where the offce on 21 August 2018, and it did not take we had conducted needs assessments. We also me long to come to grasp with the tremendous supported the voluntary repatriation of refugees, socio-economic and political challenges that the particularly Colombians who had expressed their country was and is still going through. It is within desire to do so. Another area of utmost impor- this context that UNHCR is delivering protection tance for UNHCR has been the prevention of and assistance to refugees, asylum-seekers and statelessness, particularly among the indigenous members of the host communities that live with populations. them. I was entrusted with the responsibility of Our work in 2018 has also enabled us to managing an agency that has been working in the identify operational areas in our delivery that country for nearly three decades and with feld require improvements and enhancements in presence in fve states and assistance programmes order to strengthen our response to the ever in 10 states for some of the most vulnerable increasing needs in our prioritized commu- populations, particularly along the borders with nities. This will entail adapting to a changing Colombia and Brazil. Being the only UN Agency operational context and expanding the scope with Field Offces/presence outside the capital, of our action in Venezuela, both directly and , it came as no surprise that many Venezu- through our implementing and operational elans in the feld locations identify UNHCR as “the partners. In 2018 UNHCR also supported other UN”. UN Agencies to establish their presence in the In line with its global mandate, UNHCR in field through sharing of office premises. This Venezuela plays a support role to the Govern- has greatly enhanced our coordination with the ment in its response to the protection needs of Agencies and facilitated synergy of our efforts refugees, asylum-seekers, displaced persons in order to avoid duplication of humanitarian and the communities that host them. I thus assistance activities. immediately took it upon myself to strengthen In the following pages we have attempted our working relationship with the Government, to highlight our modest achievements, whilst relevant Ministries, particularly the Ministry of also discussing some of the challenges we have Foreign Affairs and the institutional counterparts encountered in the discharge UNHCR’s mandate of UNHCR Venezuela, principally the National in Venezuela. Strengthening of our collaboration Commission for Refugees (CONARE) and the with our governmental and non-governmental Offce of the Ombudsperson. partners, closer coordination with other UN I am pleased to say that this action has met Agencies, as well as enhancement of our own with some success and contributed to facilitating capacities should equip us well enough to effec- UNHCR’s work on behalf of its persons of concern. tively discharge our mission in Venezuela in 2019 Nonetheless, we also acknowledge that more work and years to come. and perseverance are needed on our part to bring Matthew Crentsil to full fruition our efforts to reach out to the most Representative, UNHCR Venezuela, January 2019

UNHCR in Venezuela • 3 Community-based Protection: How a stronger, empowered and more resilient community takes care of its people

From afar, it looks like an offwhite spot Where hope is at the bottom of a giant dun-brown made in anthill. The El Colibrí is where 119 refugee Latin America’s boys and girls, undocumented and local largest barrio children, some with specific needs, are fed and looked after with the support of UNHCR´s partner Fundación Luz y Vida. Children, those between 5 and 14 are The Centro El Colibrí faces a lonely open taught to read, write and acquire some space in Petare, Latin America’s larg- basic mathematics skills and helped with est informal urban settlement, a small the catch-up classes they need to enter square where children play next to a the Venezuelan formal schooling system. modest shrine dedicated to Antonio Those who are younger are taken care Jose de Sucre, one of the continent’s of in the nursery until their mothers or independence war leaders. It lies at the fathers come back from work to pick bottom of a hill in the outskirts of Great- them up. er Caracas that is covered with ram- These activities had been taking shackle and haphazardly built homes, place for a quarter of a century, through electrical wires and open air plumbing the efforts of Petare’s madres cuidadoras that is a testimony to the inventiveness -caring mothers- but the wear of the and resilience of the barrios inhabitants. years had gradually turned El Colibrí into

4 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Community-based Protection Our work in communities

UNHCR has been working in Venezuela since 1991. That year the United Nations Refugee Agency was invited to set up an operation in the country to respond to the needs of Colombians who had fed from the civil war that was tearing up their country. Today, as we are approaching three full decades of presence in the country, UNHCR has consolidated its position as one of the pre-eminent UN agencies in EL COLIBRÍ IS Venezuela, with almost 80 members of WHERE 119 staff at the end of 2018, a Representa- tion and a Field Unit in Caracas and Field REFUGEE Offces in Maracaibo (Zulia), San Cristobal BOYS AND (Táchira), Guasdalito (Apure) and Ciudad GIRLS, ARE Guayana (Bolivar). FED AND Throughout 2018, UNHCR worked in 90 prioritised communities that were LOOKED selected on the basis of their hosting AFTER refugees and asylum-seekers, the needs WITH THE of the people living in them and the SUPPORT capacity on the part of UNHCR of making OF UNHCR a real difference in their lives. It did this a less than hospitable place for the niños through community-based projects in PARTNER sin nombre -nameless children- of the protection, health, education and water FUNDACIÓN barrio . That was the case until UNHCR and sanitation. LUZ Y VIDA and Fundacion Luz y Vida took up the UNHCR strives to make that challenge to restore and rehabilitate its difference through a community-based spaces, fixing windows, roofs, classroom approach. That means that its activities furniture, sanitary facilities, connecting are targeted in such a way as to bene- the building to water and power utilities, ft both the local persons of concern, painting its interiors and installing water refugees and asylum-seekers, and the tanks and filters. members of the host community, with no Now the rejuvenated El Colibri stands difference in treatment. once again proudly at the bottom of one This is what we call community-based of Petare’s pullulating urban hills and protection, a strategy that is designed to serves not only as a school and day-care tightly knit communities by integrating all centre for the barrio’s most vulnerable their members, independently of who they children, but also as a community centre are and where their come from. that provides adults with free legal, Where refugees not only survive, psycho-social and family counselling but thrive, communities do not only get by services and organises activities to em- in their day to day lives, but rather grow power residents to prevent and respond stronger and more resilient in the face of to cases of sexual and gender-based security threats, environmental risks and violence and risks to child protection. social and economic diffculties.

UNHCR in Venezuela • Community-based Protection • 5 90 prioritised communities Community-based 8.400 refugees protection 142 asylum-seekers fgures for 2018

UNHCR and the pending on the tide, the caños either pour 58.000 fresh water into the Ocean, or bring in the persons in indigenous Warao salt water from the sea. This constant ebb refugee-like and fow regulates the lives of the Warao, situations Wisidatus join who don’t often interact with the outside forces to fght world and share a historically justifed sus- AIDS in the Delta picion of outsiders with many indigenous 640.000 groups in the region. But they are quick to persons of Amacuro sense when something good comes their concern way and they are ready to embrace it. (including The indigenous Warao in the Eastern state It all began when UNHCR and local members of host of Delta Amacuro dwell in a sparsely pop- partner Fe y Alegria met with 19 Warao communities) ulated and jungled river basin that fows leaders, teachers and health professionals into the Atlantic Ocean through hundreds concerned by the spread of HIV and AIDS of rivers and tributaries called caños. De- in their communities along the tributaries

6 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Community-based protection fgures for 2018 of the Delta and in the regional capital language, and began spreading the word Tucupita. The challenge was to convince to their fellow community members in their communities that getting sick was Tekoburojo, San Francisco de Guayo, not a destiny determined by fate, but Pascuala, Nayara, Batokonoko, Nabasa- rather something that could be avoided nuka, Mujabaina de Araguao, Joanakasi, by taking precautions, principally wearing Bebeina and Dijarukabanoko. This led to condoms, and that could also be treated. a multiplicator effect, as others joined in That bajukaya, feeling well, depends very their campaign. much on each and every one of us and on By the end of the project, UNHCR what we do. and its local partners had held 22 training From the beginning, this initial group sessions with over 600 Warao participants, of Warao leaders accepted with enthu- produced two promotional radio cam- siasm the information and the tools that paigns and organized fve awareness rais- were being proposed to them, which ing events with the participation of local included an illustrated leafet in the Warao Wisidatus, the Warao traditional healers.

UNHCR in Venezuela • Community-based protection fgures for 2018 • 7 Protecting children and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence

8 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Protecting children and survivors of sex and gender-based violence A twin inspiration for women and children

Sixty-two years equally shared between them, mirroring bright eyes and open smiles, sisters Ketty and Kely Atencia have made a remarkable turnaround in their lives since arriving in Venezuela in 2010, after feeing for their lives from the last of the six different places they had been forced into calling home to escape from violence in their native Colombia. Their claim to refugee status was recognised in 2014, but that was only the beginning of their new lives. They twins have since become community leaders in the northwestern state of Zulia, where they have been living for almost a decade, FRIENDSHIP and gone on to establish “Friendship Ties” TIES IS PART a youth network that seeks to promote a OF THE SAFE peaceful coexistence between refugees and SPACES host communities through information, edu- cation, sports and recreational activities. NETWORK They also make a point of actively dis- LAUNCHED seminating through their network messag- TO HELP es on the need for prevention and response SURVIVORS to sexual and gender-based violence with OF GENDER- the support of UNHCR and partners. Friendship Ties is part of the Safe BASED Spaces Network launched in 2017 by VIOLENCE UNHCR and partners in Venezuela to AND help survivors of gender-based violence CHILDREN AT and children at risk. Although they were RISK aware of the impact of their work, in their community, the two sisters could not quite believe their eyes and ears when they were told by UNHCR that their organiza- tion had been selected for an award by the agency’s Youth Initiative Fund. Ketty and Kely say that they want to use their unexpected windfall to set up a library in the Friendship Ties community space and organise workshops for boys, girls, adolescents and their families on positive parenting, sexual and reproduc- tive health, the risks associated with drug use, racial discrimination and xenophobia, recycling and the importance of preserv- ing our natural environment.

UNHCR in Venezuela • Protecting children and survivors of sex and gender-based violence • 9 10 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Protecting children and survivors of sex and gender-based violence Most of them are in border states, where risks of violence are compounded by the presence of armed and criminal groups that may attempt to recruit children or lure them in joining illicit and dangerous activities. These networks include non-gov- ernment and civil society organizations that have been trained to provide case management, psychosocial, medical, legal, shelter and sexual and reproductive health services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and children at risk. They also provide community safe spaces where residents are empowered to know their rights and their obligations in preventing and responding to cases of sexual and gender-based violence and violations of children’s rights. At a government level, UNHCR works to strengthen the response of the Nation- al Child Protection System and municipal Our work on Child Protection Councils and Commit- tees, training their members on how SGBV and Child to conduct best interest assessments, Protection referrals, family tracing and reunifcation. It also provides training on response to government offcials, local women’s net- The prevention of and the response to works, sexual and gender-based violence sexual and gender-based violence and response committees and members of the protection of children are funda- host communities. mental elements in UNHCR’s communi- ty-based protection strategy, as harmony within families is a key factor in ensuring a peaceful social life within the commu- nity. UNHCR provides counselling and assistance to survivors of gender-based violence and children who have been de- nied their rights to a happy childhood and adolescence, or are considered at risk of seeing such rights deprived by family members and other actors interacting with the community. UNHCR has also set up fve Safe Spaces Networks in the states of Apure, Bolivar, Táchira and Zulia, as well as the Capital District, for the prevention of and the response to sexual and gender-based violence and the protection of children.

UNHCR in Venezuela • Protecting children and survivors of sex and gender-based violence • 11 SGBV and Child Protection: Our results in 2018

Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence UNHCR and partners supported three were provided with psychosocial assistance, shel- child protection committees to develop 99 ter, medical assistance, legal advice and material/ prevention and awareness-raising fnancial support. activities on child protection, establish links with the child protection system } and refer children at risk to appropriate UNHCR and partners organized 10 services. capacity building trainings on sexual and gender-based violence prevention UNHCR and partners delivered for government offcials, partner staff awareness-raising sessions on and members of refugee-hosting children’s rights and positive parenting communities. to 91 adults and 88 children.

UNHCR trained eight sexual and gender-based violence prevention

and response committees to provide } 76 community-based psychosocial support activities for women and girls at risk.

Children took part in UNHCR and partner provided educational counselling and individual support for activities on prevention 1,283 children at risk and medical care of violence and human and protection for 1,155 children at risk. traffcking.

UNHCR and partners provided courses on digital literacy, technology and risks associated with child pornography and sexual exploitation to 66 minors and adults

UNHCR and partners rehabilitated and supported a day-care centre for 40 children between the ages of 2 and 4 in the Antonio José de Sucre community in Petare, Greater Caracas.

12 • UNHCR in Venezuela • SGBV and Child Protection UNHCR in Venezuela • SGBV and Child Protection • 13 Working with Authorities

As in all its operations worldwide, UNHCR also supported CONARE in UNHCR ALSO UNHCR in Venezuela plays a support role conducting mobile registration missions SUPPORTED to Government in providing protection to identify new asylum seekers and to persons of concern in the country. It issue or renew the certificates to per- CONARE IN does this mainly through its institutional sons of concern that had already been CONDUCT- partner, the National Commission for Ref- registered as asylum-seekers. ING MOBILE ugees (CONARE), which has the mandate UNHCR and CONARE held joint REGISTRA- over refugees and asylum seekers, and workshops on International Refugee TION MIS- the Offce of the Ombudsperson, which Law and national asylum and refugee has the role of promoting the rights of cit- status determination procedures in SIONS TO izens, especially the most vulnerable, and Venezuela for the military, police and IDENTIFY persons of concern and of disseminating migration officials. A special effort was NEW ASYLUM awareness of the existence of such rights. undertaken to train the newly-formed SEEKERS In the course of 2018, UNHCR Ven- Migratory Police which has taken over ezuela consolidated its partnership with the responsibility over the country’s 75 both the CONARE and the Office of the border points and all migratory control Ombudsperson, through memorandums activities. of understanding, specific workshops UNHCR also provided support to the and the elaboration of joint work plans. Office of the Ombudsperson in conduct- UNHCR supported CONARE in ing field missions to prioritised com- clearing the backlog of more than 1,000 munities in five states of the country to pending asylum applications. This effort disseminate information on rights and led to the recognition of 615 new ref- ways to ensure that they are upheld, ugees, bringing the total to 8,463, and and provided stationery and other 142 asylum-seekers by 31 December supplies to the SAIME migration and 2018, a huge increase over the 15 ref- identification service to try to ensure ugees that had been recognized in the the timely issuance of visas and docu- course of 2017. mentation to refugees.

14 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Working with Authorities Refugee Status Determination Voluntary Repatriation

Refugee status determination is the process by Repatriation is one of the three durable solutions which an asylum-seeker’s claim to international that UNHCR strives to achieve in its efforts to protection is received and decided upon. The redress the situations of uprooted individuals and process is regulated by International Refugee families of refugees along with integration into the Law and its application is the responsibility of the host country and resettlement in a third country. host government. It remains the preferred solution if conditions UNHCR, in its supporting role to the Gov- in the country of origin allow for it to take place ernment of Venezuela, provides technical advice and it has to be undertaken in a voluntary and to its institutional counterpart, the National informed manner and in conditions of dignity for Commission for Refugees (CONARE) on the the returning refugees. implementation of the refugee status determi- The diffcult social and economic situation nation process in general terms and on a case by in Venezuela has led many refugees to decide to case basis. return home in search for better opportunities. Together, UNHCR and CONARE provide Some have done so training sessions on International Refugee Law, independently, while others have sought the national asylum law and refugee status determi- advice of UNHCR. nation procedures to the Military, Police, Migra- In these cases, the agency provides counselling tory Police and Migration and other Government and country of origin information, including on offcials. available services as well as referral pathways, to those refugees who wish to return to their country, ensuring that they take this step voluntarily and with all the necessary information. The process is coordinated with UNHCR offces in Colombia.

Documentation

The lack of appropriate documentation often leads to UNHCR has also supported capacity-build- unnecessary exposure to protection risks, includ- ing training workshops for representatives of ing those associated with statelessness, for both CONARE, SAIME, the Civil Registry and the Of- children and adults, members of indigenous groups, fice of the Ombudsperson and has coordinated other Venezuelans and persons living in the country birth registration campaigns and the delivery of in refugee-like conditions. In its support role to the national identification cards in isolated indig- Government, UNHCR strives to limit such risks and enous communities where many children and empower and provide resources to the relevant adults lack any documentation. institutions to deliver the documentation persons of UNHCR has also organised acitivities in various concern are entitled to have. communities to raise awareness on birth registration In the course of 2018, UNHCR donated supplies and has advocated for the provision of mobile civil to various offces of the SAIME migration service to registry services and documentation brigades to enable them to provide the visas and documentation meet the needs of many indigenous communities needed by recognised refugees to gain full access to where both children and adults are at risk of state- essential services and basic rights. lessness

UNHCR in Venezuela • Working with Authorities• 15 Prevention of Statelessness

UNHCR’s mandate calls on the agency to lead international efforts to prevent statelessness, a condition that affects some 12 million people world-wide, who have no nationality depriving them of rights that everyone else would take for granted. In Venezuela, UNHCR supports institutions like the Civil registry and the SAIME immigration and identifica- tion service in their efforts to ensure that residents of isolated communities have access to birth registration and documentation for adults. This activity

16 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Prevention of Statelessness is mainly focused on indigenous com- munities, whose members traditionally STATELESS- have a more detached attitude towards NESS, A CON- the notion of the nation state, the importance of documentation and the DITION THAT risks associated with the lack of it. AFFECTS In the course of 2018, UNHCR held SOME 12 MIL- several training sessions on state- LION PEOPLE lessness for representatives of the WORLD- CONARE, SAIME, Civil Registry and the Office of the Ombudsperson, and sup- WIDE, DE- ported field missions to communities to PRIVING promote birth registration. THEM OF In December 2018, UNHCR or- RIGHTS THAT ganized a workshop with these same institutions, the Ministry of Foreign EVERYONE Relations and the Office of the Public ELSE WOULD Prosecutor which has led to the devel- TAKE FOR opment of a strategy and work plan for GRANTED 2019 to promote birth registration and individual documentation. At a local level, UNHCR provided the Institute of Public Health of the state of Bolivar state with 21,000 copies of a simplifed document for birth registration approved by the national Civil Registry Offce. The simplifed document will make it easier to register new-borns living in iso- lated areas that have no access to public offces. Finally, UNHCR is advocating with the Government of Venezuela for its accession to international conventions on statelessness, namely the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Statelessness and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

UNHCR in Venezuela • Prevention of Statelessness • 17 ment, psychosocial, legal, medical, sexual and reproductive health and shelter services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and children at risk. They also man- age community safe spaces where residents are empowered to prevent Protection and respond to cases of sexual and gender-based violence and risks to and violations of children’s rights. and Safe UNHCR has trained members of the Safe Spaces Network key concepts, international Spaces standards and international and legal frame- works on child protection and sexual and Networks gender-based violence. Priority is given to unaccompanied and separated children and children who have survived abuse, exploita- The increasing social, political and economic tion and neglect. diffculties that have been affecting Ven- The Safe Spaces Network has provided ezuela and their negative fallout in terms multi-sectoral help in terms of psycho-social of access to basic services and rights have support, medical and sexual and reproduc- resulted in signifcant migration fows, tive health services, legal assistance and case displacement and cross-border movements management for sexual and gender-based PRIORITY IS into Colombia and Brazil which have called violence survivors and children at risk. GIVEN TO for the implementation of a strategy to The local protection networks located in UNACCOM- respond to the protection needs of people on the border states of Apure, Bolivar, Táchira PANIED AND the move. UNHCR responded to these needs and Zulia held bilateral meetings with the activating a multi-sectoral coordination networks on the other side of the border SEPARAT- mechanism. and mirror offces in Colombia or Brazil to ED CHIL- UNHCR consolidated a national protec- discuss case management tools, informa- DREN AND tion network formed by UN agencies and tion-sharing protocols and referral path- CHILDREN NGOs to provide counselling and assistance ways, adopt special mechanisms for transna- WHO HAVE to persons in transit, as well as conducing tional referral and transfer of cases., conduct referrals to service available at the border, joint protection analyses of the border and SURVIVED including cross-border referrals to Colombia movement dynamics and review work plans ABUSE, EX- and Brazil. The protection network provided for the protection of persons in transit or PLOITATION economic, material, legal and psychosocial commuting between countries. AND assistance to more than 5,000 persons with In the area of health, a strengthened NEGLECT specifc needs in transit, disseminated key binational cooperation between Colombia messages for persons in transit to other and Venezuela resulted in a stakeholders’ countries and provided a mapping of services meeting to respond to problems related to available across the border. HIV care in the border zone that was held in UNHCR has created fve Safe Spaces San Antonio, in Táchira, with the participa- Networks in the border states of Apure, tion of representatives of Venezuelan public Bolivar, Táchira and Zulia and in the Caracas institutions and NGOs as well as of non-prof- Capital District to address cases related to it organizations from Cucuta, Colombia. the prevention and response to sexual and UNHCR and partners also held work- gender-based violence and child protection shops on the protection non-discrimination issues. and special requirements of LGBTI persons The Safe Spaces Networks bring on the move with representatives of gov- together non-government civil society ernment institutions and the Regional Safe organisations that provide case manage- Spaces Networks.

18 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Protection and Safe Spaces Networks Puppetry Shows that Health Matters

the Titeres Tuqueque theatre company entertain the 390 schoolchildren gath- ered for the occasion with the story of 390 SCHOOL- two cousins living in adjacent but very CHILDREN different homes, one clean and orderly GATHERED and the other encumbered will all sorts FOR THE of odds and ends. One day, Valentina, OCCASION who lives in the clean house, sees her cousin Teo get sick from an insect bite WITH THE he setting is a large covered and and be brought to the doctor, who gives STORY OF rundown cement school sports the sick child the required medicines TWO COUS- T ground that has seen many a foot- and, more importantly, sound advice on INS LIVING IN ball game played between the students at how clean habits can help you to not get ADJACENT the Don Tito Salas school in San Isidro de sick in the first place. Petare, Greater Caracas, a community that All is well that ends well and the BUT VERY hosts refugees and has little access to po- puppet show closes to a thunder of DIFFERENT table water. The hard sports ground is for applause. The children go on to eat their HOMES, ONE one day transformed into a puppet theatre midday meal and then wash their hands CLEAN AND for children to learn basic hygiene skills to with the soap and hygiene kits provided keep at home and at school. They are told by UNHCR and partners, before some THE OTHER that billions of people in the world do not go back to the courtyard to burn their UNHEALTHY have access to toilets and that hundreds of excess energy running after the new millions live without clean water. shiny green and yellow footballs donated The show begins and the puppets of by UNHCR.

UNHCR in Venezuela • Puppetry Shows that Health Matters • 19 +14.000 +12.000 +11.000 +10.000 Promotion Health Education Protection of rights of childhood

Zulia Bolívar 33 communities D.C. y Amazonas +22.000 y Delta 5 communities Amacuro +7.000 33 communities +14.000

Táchira Merida y Barinas 20 communities +20.000

Apure 15 communities +15.000

58 90 Actors Communities

20 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Map +10.000 +6.000 +6.000 +5.000 +500 SRH/ HIV-AIDS Nutrition Sexual and WASH Statelessness gender violence +78,000 Persons assisted +2.800 +75.000 persons of concern others of concern (refugees and asylum seekers) (host communities)

43% 57%

7% 37% 50% 6%

12 15 Project Partnership Partners Agreements

UNHCR in Venezuela • Map • 21 Maracaibo Zulia Caracas D.C. Ciudad Guayana Bolívar

San Cristobal Táchira

Guasdualito Apure

Branch Offce

Field Offce

Field Unit

22 • UNHCR in Venezuela • Map Overview: UNHCR Venezuela’s impact in 2018

An improved access to and quality of refugee status determination asylum An improved access to procedures reproductive health and HIV services Community empowerment through strengthened community structures, Better potable water and centres, spaces, promoters, committees sanitation services and women’s and youth networks

A reduced risk of sexual and gender-based violence and an improved res- ponse to it A stronger protection of children Better community access to nutrition, health and education

An expanded and A more positive public strengthened community perception of and attitude mobilization towards persons of concern

Support to humanitarian A better access to nutrition, health actors in the feld and education in communities

UNHCR in Venezuela • Overview: UNHCR Venezuela’s impact in 2018 • 23 ©ACNUR / Roger Arnold ©ACNUR

of Africa produced the frst of that conti- UNHCR: nent’s numerous refugee crises. We also helped uprooted people in Asia and Latin America over the following two decades. A Brief In 1981, we received a second Nobel Peace Prize for what had become world- wide assistance to refugees. History The start of the 21st century has seen UNHCR help with major refugee crises in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. We have also been asked to use The office of the United Nations High our expertise to help many internally IN 1981, WE Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) displaced by conflict and expanded RECEIVED was created in 1950, during the after- our role in helping stateless people. In math of the Second World War, to help some parts of the world, such as Africa A SECOND millions of Europeans who had fled or and Latin America, the 1951 Refugee NOBEL PEACE lost their homes. We had three years to Convention has been strengthened by PRIZE complete our work and then disband. additional regional legal instruments. In 1954, UNHCR won the Nobel UNHCR now has more than 16,765 Peace Prize for its groundbreaking work personnel. We work in a total of 138 in Europe. But it was not long before we countries and our budget, which in its faced our next major emergency. first year was US$ 300,000, grew to In 1956, during the Hungarian Rev- US$ 6.54 billion in 2016. olution, 200,000 fled to neighbouring In 2015, we celebrated our 65th an- Austria. Recognizing the Hungarians as niversary. During our lifetime, we have ‘prima facie’ refugees, UNHCR led ef- helped well over 50 million refugees to forts to resettle them. This uprising and successfully restart their lives. its aftermath shaped the way human- Today, UNHCR’s 16,800 staff work in itarian organizations would deal with 134 countries, leading the international refugee crises in the future. response to the needs of 70.8 million During the 1960s, the decolonization forcibly displaced people worldwide.

24 • UNHCR in Venezuela • UNHCR: A Brief History

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