Fall out of COVID-19 severely affects food security of migrants in South America

Two-thirds of the 3 million Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru who have seen their jobs disappear and their incomes plummet during the pandemic will see their food insecurity worsen in 2020, according to World Food Programme’s COVID-19 projections.

Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to register an alarming 269 percent rise in the number of people facing severe food insecurity when compared to 2019 – the highest relative increase globally. Nearly 16 million people which include 1.9 million Venezuelan migrants will this year face a critical situation that warrants urgent attention.

“We are worried about the millions who are suffering the impact of the pandemic in our continent,” said Miguel Barreto, WFP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Without enough work and income, hunger is what´s next for them. We must act now. We can’t leave anyone behind.”

In the case of migrants, the projection combines moderate and severe food insecurity and is based on a remote survey WFP conducted between April and May 2020 on the impact of COVID-19 on their lives. Economic indicators for Latin America and the Caribbean were also analyzed following the outbreak.

With predictions that gross domestic product (GDP) in the region will shrink by 9.1 percent – the biggest contraction in a century, estimates suggest that poverty, extreme poverty, and unemployment will affect millions of more people this year.

Migrants are particularly vulnerable as they are not covered by national social protection programmes which provide a safety net in times of crisis. The most recent WFP survey found that 7 out of 10 migrants in these three countries were worried about feeding themselves and their families, a substantial increase compared to previous assessments. The proportion of migrants who only had one meal or did not eat the day before the interview increased 2.5 times compared to the pre-coronavirus period.

To cope with the growing wave of hunger, WFP needs an additional US$328 million in 2020 to reach 3.5 million people who have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean. To assist vulnerable Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, WFP requires US$120 million of the total figure.

Read the Remote survey report on the impact of COVID-19 on market access, food security, and livelihoods.

Original source: WFP
Published on 16 July 2020