Dignity & Strength for Venezuelan Refugees & Migrants in Colombia

Large numbers of people are bypassing immigration controls as they exit Venezuela. Credit: Tomer UrwiczBy Tomer Urwicz and Liliana Arias SalgadoCÚCUTA, Colombia, Jun 13 2019 (IPS) Not long ago, 15-year-old Nelsmar attended a middle-class school in central Venezuela. That was before her family was uprooted by the economic and humanitarian crisis in her country, which has pushed nearly 3.9 million persons to migrate or flee, according to recent estimates of the Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela. Nelsmar’s family made the move over a year ago. They walked for eight days, and spent the rest of the journey traveling by bus, before reaching the border with Colombia. When they arrived in the border city of Cúcuta, she thought the worst was over – but she was wrong. For weeks, Nelsmar slept either on the street or in a boarding house with shared toilet facilities. Her family struggled to access shampoo, sanitary napkins or even a flashlight to light the way at night. “When you don’t have the means to bathe or change clothes, or you don’t have enough money, something as natural as one’s menstrual period becomes a real challenge,” Nelsmar told UNFPA. There are 1.2 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees living in Colombia, and large numbers continue to pour over the border. Many bypass immigration controls. The mass displacement has led to a heightened risk of sexual violence and exploitation. According to the organization CEPAZ, some 37...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Development & Aid Editors' Choice Featured Gender Headlines Health Latin America & the Caribbean Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Women's Health Source Type: news