Food and medicine shortages in Venezuela as well as security problems have continued to exacerbate amid the political turmoil in the country, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman William Spindler told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) Food and medicine shortages in Venezuela as well as security problems have continued to exacerbate amid the political turmoil in the country, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman William Spindler told Sputnik.Venezuela has been suffering from a prolonged economic crisis, which has led to protests and forced millions to flee the country. In January, political tensions flared up as National Assembly head Juan Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela.
"There has been a deterioration of the situation inside Venezuela, including in terms of security, human rights and access to food and medicines. Venezuelans who have left their country state that they leave for a variety of reasons, including insecurity and violence, persecution and threats, lack of access to food, medicine and essential services, as well as loss of income and lack of effective national protection systems as a result of the current political and socio-economic situation," Spindler said.
The UN humanitarian office (UNOCHA) is monitoring the situation at Venezuela's border with Colombia where foreign aid has been delivered and hoping it can be given out "independent of any political or other considerations than the pure humanitarian," UNOCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke said last week.
On Tuesday, as thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets across the country to urge the government to let in foreign aid, Guaido told his supporters at a rally that it would be brought in on February 23. However, incumbent President Nicolas Maduro has refused to let in the shipments that the United States delivered to neighboring Colombia, blasting this as a ploy to topple his government, and demanded instead that Washington lift economic sanctions off Caracas.
Guaido, who proclaimed himself as interim leader on January 23, has been backed by the United States and a number of Latin American and European countries. Maduro's presidency has meanwhile been supported by Russia and China, among others. However, Venezuelan authorities have stressed that they are ready for a dialogue with the opposition.
