UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman William Spindler told Sputnik that around an average of 5,000 Venezuelans per day were leaving the country amid the country's escalating political crisis, which is the same rate that was recorded in 2018
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th February, 2019) UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman William Spindler told Sputnik that around an average of 5,000 Venezuelans per day were leaving the country amid the country's escalating political crisis, which is the same rate that was recorded in 2018.
"According to available estimates, during 2018 an average of 5,000 people were leaving Venezuela every day. We have been monitoring population movements at the main borders and people are still leaving Venezuela more or less at the same rate as last year, although there are wide daily fluctuations and many Venezuelans go to neighboring countries to buy food or medicine and then return to Venezuela," Spindler said.
Venezuela has long suffered from an economic crisis that has forced millions to flee the country. On top of this, political tensions escalated in January, when the leader of the opposition-led Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, proclaimed himself the country's interim president. The opposition leader was recognized by the United States and some other countries. Russia, China as well as several other nations have backed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as the country's legitimate leader.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of refugees and migrants from Venezuela worldwide reached 3 million in 2018. In its emergency plan for Venezuela that was launched in December, the United Nations estimated that 5.3 million people were likely to leave the country by the end of this year.
