REGIONAL OVERVIEW
By mid-2021, RMRP actors, implementing activities under the RMRP in 17 countries, had reached some 1.8 million refugees and migrants from Venezuela and members of affected host communities with some form of assistance, representing 51.45% of the target population.
In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it was significant that activities under the Health Sector reached the largest number of people, with almost 1 million (919,841 refugees and migrants and 67,812 host community members, or 51.5% of the target population) receiving support for medical care from RMRP partners. Vulnerable refugees and migrants – including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), victims of human trafficking, persons with disabilities, pregnant and lactating women, and young children with nutritional deficiencies – were assisted with primary healthcare, reproductive health, mental health and telehealth services, cash and voucher assistance (CVA) to cover the cost of medicines and lab tests, and vaccines. Some RMRP partners were directly involved in administering COVID-19 vaccines, while other supported health authorities with logistics, equipment (such as refrigeration units) and outreach for immunization campaigns.
Recognizing the needs among host communities, RMRP actors also focused on strengthening local health authorities’ capacities, donating necessary medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and providing training and logistics support for community outreach on health and prevention.
The Food Security Sector also made significant progress, thanks to strong donor support – particularly in Colombia – reaching 51.39% of its target population in the region, a total of 942,918 people, with 95.08% of all people assisted in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Another significant element was the increased level of collaboration and coordination across R4V Sectors, working to achieve a holistic response at the field level, address intersectional aspects of the reality of the displacement experience of refugees and migrants, and mainstream the principle of Centrality of Protection (COP) across activities. For example, R4V partners distributing multipurpose cash transfers (MPC) – including to refugees and migrants with identified protection risks – coordinated to ensure complementarity with partners distributing sectoral CVA for shelter, food security, and health; the Protection Sector worked with the Shelter Sector to identify root causes of and better prevent forced evictions; and WASH Sector partners collaborated to ensure that hygiene and sanitary protocols related to COVID-19 were met and PPE was provided to refugees and migrants in reception, accommodation and transportation activities of the Humanitarian Transportation and Shelter Sectors. The upgrading of the regional R4V service mapping tool also helped to better visualize available RMRP services.
