March 2019 – Over 3.3 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, many of whom are currently residing in neighbouring countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In addition to hosting over 1 million Venezuelans, Colombia continues to suffer from the effects of longstanding violence and armed conflict between armed groups and criminal gangs. Crisis-affected people, including those in host communities, are in need of basic health assistance, food and nutrition assistance, protection services, shelter, and water and sanitation. With GAC’s support, Action Against Hunger (ACF) is helping address the basic health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, and protection needs of up to 14,100 crisis-affected people in the departments of Guajira and Norte de Santander in Columbia. Project activities include: (1) providing prenatal and postnatal health check-ups; (2) delivering safe drinking water by providing water filters at reception points; (3) providing nutritional assistance (screening and treatment) to up to 1,080 pregnant and lactating women and children under the age of five; (4) providing emergency cash-based transfers to vulnerable households; and (6) providing training on basic hygiene practices, and waste management , and promoting hygiene to up to 5,000 crisis-affected people.
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to basic maternal health services; (2) improved access to safe drinking water; (3) improved nutritional care for vulnerable people; and (4) improved access to basic services and goods through multipurpose cash. The expected ultimate outcome is lives saved, suffering alleviated and human dignity maintained in countries experiencing humanitarian crises or acute food insecurity.
