Venezuela: about 3m have fled political and economic crisis since 2015, UN says

The exodus of Venezuelans fleeing economic and political crisis in their homeland has accelerated dramatically, reaching a total of about 3 million since 2015, the United Nations has announced.

The exodus, driven by violence, hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicines, amounts to about one in 12 of the country’s population.

It has accelerated in the past six months, said William Spindler of the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), which appealed for greater international efforts to ease the strain on the country’s neighbours.

UN data in September showed 2.6 million had fled to neighbouring countries, but regional governments are struggling to cope with the humanitarian and political fallout from one of the largest mass migrations in Latin American history.

“The main increases continue to be reported in Colombia and Peru,” Spindler said.

Colombia is sheltering 1 million Venezuelans. Some 3,000 more arrive each day, and the Bogota government says 4 million could be living there by 2021, costing it nearly $9bn.

Oil-rich Venezuela has sunk into crisis under socialist president Nicolás Maduro, who has struggled to rein in hyperinflation and clamped down on political opponents. He has dismissed the migration figures as “fake news” meant to justify foreign intervention in Venezuela’s affairs.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNHCR said the exodus was straining several neighbouring countries, notably Colombia.

“Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have largely maintained a commendable open-door policy,” said Eduardo Stein, UNHCR-IOM joint special representative for refugees and migrants from Venezuela. “However, their reception capacity is severely strained, requiring a more robust and immediate response from the international community.”

Regional government officials are to meet in Quito, Ecuador from 22-23 November to coordinate humanitarian efforts.