Problem assessment: With the current socio-economic crisis in the country, community structures are becoming weaker. Community Councils are mostly involved in beneficiary identification for social programmes and assistance distribution. However, they fall short in providing information on rights, asylum procedures, available services, and referral pathways for persons with specific needs within the community. Lack of transport services, the deterioration of communication systems, including poor or unavailable internet and telephone services in many cities and rural areas led to barriers to effective access to information for many communities related to rights, entitlements, and available services. Failure to know such rights and available services expose communities to protection risks. Such difficulties have been exacerbated by COVID-19, resulting in loss of livelihoods for many. Additionally, as communities have seen the arrival of spontaneous Venezuelan returnees, community response mechanisms were in many cases overwhelmed. Lack of proper community organisation and misinformation may negatively impact in COVID-19 prevention, leading to health hazard and discrimination, particularly against returnees. Many communities in remote areas of the country, particularly in Bolivar and Delta Amacuro states are at heightened risk, as the humanitarian space has not been expanded to those areas. Institutional presence is weak, and many areas are under the control of armed groups.
Comprehensive response: UNHCR will consolidate the existing community structures supported in 2020 and will support or establish structures in newly prioritised communities. Community structures working with UNHCR involve a 309-community outreach volunteer network that identifies persons with specific protection needs and refer them to available services. There are 23 community committees that organise activities; 18 youth and 15 women’s community networks to prevent and respond to child protection risks and SGBV. Information sessions on the identification of persons with Special Protection Needs (SPN), referral pathways, ethics, leadership, and communication will be conducted according to UNHCR’s minimum training package for community structures. UNHCR will also support community activities, as the rehabilitation of community spaces in schools, health centres and sport facilities, and the establishment of mobile information desks to reach out persons with special protection needs. UNHCR and partners will conduct a nation-wide participatory assessment with prioritised communities. UNHCR will expand its Communicating with Communities programme and enhance awareness on Protection Against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) and anti-fraud measures to ensure that all prioritised communities have a complaint/feedback mechanism set up and running. UNHCR will use innovative communication methods to ensure time info dissemination and community mobilisation.
Should additional funding be available, UNHCR and humanitarian actors will advocate to expand the humanitarian space to reach out remote areas with high human mobility to reach out vulnerable communities at risk of all forms of exploitation.