Aid Agencies Lack Resources To Provide Medicines To Venezuelans - IFRC President

Aid Agencies Lack Resources to Provide Medicines to Venezuelans - IFRC President

The humanitarian situation in Venezuela remains a serious challenge with aid agencies experiencing lack of funds to provide medicines to the people in the country, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) President Francesco Rocca told Sputnik

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2019) The humanitarian situation in Venezuela remains a serious challenge with aid agencies experiencing lack of funds to provide medicines to the people in the country, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) President Francesco Rocca told Sputnik.

"The situation in Venezuela is still a very difficult one because so far we [have provided] more than 100 tons of medicines, but it is not enough, it is not the answer," Rocca said on Thursday. "So far, the answer to our appeal and the UN appeal is very low - they are completely underfunded, this is a big reason for concern."

Rocca said that he expects the international community to bolster humanitarian support to aid agencies assisting the Venezuelans and, in the meantime, until the political crisis is not resolved, countries should accept people leaving the Bolivarian Republic.

"We still have hope that international aid and international leaders will support the action of the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations working on the ground," Rocca said. "Until the crisis is not fixed, I think it is the obligation of all the countries to receive those who are fleeing and escaping from this deep crisis."

Venezuela has experienced a humanitarian and political crisis that intensified in January, when the US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido disputed President Nicolas Maduro's re-election and declared himself interim president.

Maduro has called Guaido a US puppet and accused Washington of trying to orchestrate a coup to force a change of government in Venezuela and claim the country's resources.