Protection Monitoring, 2020 (Panama)

Abstract

The size of the outflows from Venezuela sharply increased from some 700,000 in 2015 to over 4 million by June 2019, largely driven by a substantial deterioration of the situation in the country. Given the disruption of the functioning of some democratic institutions and rule of law, and its impact on the preservation of security, economic stability, health, public peace and the general welfare system, the crisis continues to worsen and serious human rights violations are widely reported. The displacement outside Venezuela has mostly affected countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and the southern Caribbean islands. Most governments in the region have made efforts to facilitate access to territory, documentation and access to services, but the capacity of host countries has become overstretched to address the increasing protection and integration needs, resulting in tighter border controls being put in place. Protection monitoring is a core UNHCR activity which aims at ensuring an adequate and timely understanding of the protection situation of persons affected by forced displacement. The action-oriented nature of protection monitoring allows UNHCR to adapt to the needs and protection risks faced by persons displaced outside Venezuela and informs a broad range of responses.