MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th May, 2020) The conference hosted by the European Commission and the Spanish government on Tuesday managed to collect 2.54 billion Euros ($2.79 billion) to help five million displaced Venezuelans, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
The International Donor's Conference in solidarity with Venezuelan migrants and refugees was organized by the European Union and the Spanish government in cooperation with the United Nations Agency for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as well as the governments of Norway and Canada as co-conveners.
"We have managed to gather 2.544 billion euros, and nearly 600 million [$658 million] of that is in the form of grants. The [European] Commission will be providing about 60 percent of that ... It shows that the EU is still concerned about the situation in Venezuela, and is fulfilling its commitment to organize this conference. I think we've shown that this isn't a forgotten crisis, that we are aware of the impact on countries of Latin America," Borrell said.
Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya has called the event an example of solidarity with those who risk being forgotten.
"Spain has contributed 50 million [$54.8 million], which will be disbursed over the next three years with initial disbursement of 20 million [$21.9 million] this year," he added.
Antonio Vitorino, the director general of the IOM, has expressed his deep satisfaction with the results of the conference.
"The sense of urgency that all the participants share in need to provide the necessary life-saving instruments for the 5 million of Venezuelans displaced in the region, the need to confront the terrible impact of COVID-19 in those displaced people who lost their jobs, who need to be guaranteed the access to health care, they need to be supported in the integrating in their host communities is extremely clear form this conference," Vitorino said.
Venezuela has been experiencing a humanitarian and political crisis that intensified in January 2019 when US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido disputed President Nicolas Maduro's re-election and declared himself interim president.
The United States and its allies have recognized Guaido as the country's leader, while Russia and several other countries insist that Maduro is the only legitimate president of Venezuela.
