A new data visualization released today highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Venezuelan refugees and migrants who are faced with homelessness and eviction as a result of lockdowns and worsening socio-economic and livelihood opportunities.
The data visualization is based on a survey of some 1,200 households across Latin America. Among the survey's key findings are that:
- Three-quarters of those who lost their homes were forced onto the streets.
- 80 per cent of those evicted were women, more than half of whom were their family's sole breadwinner.
- Many evicted families had difficulty accessing basic services including clean water and sanitation, facing greater risk of exposure to the virus as a result.
Entitled "No home away from home", the data visualization includes recommendations to authorities, civil society and displaced communities themselves on how to mitigate the risk of eviction and find long-term solutions.
The visualization was produced by the Regional Protection Sector of the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), which is co-led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and HIAS.
As of October 2021, there are over 5.9 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants worldwide. More than 80 per cent are in Latin America and the Caribbean.
