Refugees from Venezuela. Their stories.
Refugees from Venezuela. Their stories.
The 45-year-old Maryuri arrived in the border city of Tulcan in Ecuador from Venezuela at the end of 2021. "We didn't leave our country because we wanted to, but because of the situation there," she explains.
She currently lives with her mother, husband and four children, aged between one and fifteen years old, in a small apartment next to a car wash, where her husband works. Her eldest daughter also lives in Tulcan with her baby. The family received cash assistance from UNHCR and its partners for nine months, which allowed them to pay rent, buy food and school supplies for the children. Maryuri has sought employment so as not to depend on humanitarian aid, but so far has not succeeded. "One can get ahead by getting a decent job, where one is well paid. It doesn't matter if you work all day. But it does matter if it is a good salary to support all the expenses one has. Because you are not always going to live on what they give you, you want to get ahead on your own, to work," says Maryuri.
The 23-year-old Freinyeli and the 28-year-old Antonio arrived in Cuenca, in southern Ecuador, in August 2022 with their three children after leaving Venezuela. To reach their destination they had to walk for more than a month. In Cuenca they adopted their puppy, Kira. They spent the first seven days in the city at an emergency shelter supported by UNHCR. "We had nowhere to go, but luckily we found the shelter. If it weren't for that, we would have had to sleep on the street. We adults can cope, but for the children it is more difficult, because of the cold and how dangerous it is to sleep on the street," says Freinyeli.
"In Venezuela, living was a danger. We didn't feel safe, especially for the children who couldn't play outside because at any moment there could be a murder. It was a danger. That's why we decided to leave the country," she adds.
Their youngest son's name is Angel and he is one year old. Their other two children are six and four years old and are already going to school. The family has received cash assistance from UNHCR and its partners, which helps them pay the rent for the room they rent and has also allowed them to buy the books their children need to go to school. In addition, every day they go to the community dining room, supported by UNHCR, where they can feed themselves.
What we do in the region
Throughout the region, UNHCR has stepped up its response and is working closely with host governments and partners, particularly IOM, to support a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the needs of refugees and migrants from Venezuela. More specifically:
- we are collecting data to better understand the specific needs of Venezuelans
- we are supporting States to improve reception conditions.
- we are coordinating the provision of information and assistance to meet Venezuelans’ immediate basic needs including shelter, and
- We are combating discrimination and xenophobia through awareness campaigns.
Across the region, UNHCR complements government efforts to provide emergency shelter for Venezuelans arriving in the border states and main cities. UNHCR has also installed child-friendly spaces and spaces for breastfeeding mothers at border crossing points and is advocating with host governments to facilitate access to education for Venezuelan children. UNHCR has established networks of volunteers to improve our links with the communities and ensure two-way communication and accountability, while working with different population groups, including women, children, elderly people, young people and people with disabilities as well as indigenous and LGBTI groups. In addition, UNHCR is coordinating with partners a regional Support Spaces initiative to ensure that refugees and migrants receive updated and reliable information and a minimum package of services in key locations across the region.
To promote the integration of refugees and migrants in their host communities, UNHCR works closely with local authorities and the private sector and supports the provision of vocational training to Venezuelans. UNHCR is also supporting the relocation of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the Brazilian state of Roraima to other parts of the country where there are more employment opportunities and services.
