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UN humanitarian chief calls for easing sanctions in Venezuela to avoid hindering aid
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Disasters & Emergencies

UN humanitarian chief calls for easing sanctions in Venezuela to avoid hindering aid

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, urged for sanctions on Venezuela to be eased to facilitate aid delivery.
  • Fletcher stated that humanitarian exemptions are crucial to ensure aid is not hindered by sanctions.
  • The UN estimates $300 million more is needed to assist 1.3 million people affected by a recent earthquake, with a focus on long-term recovery and reconstruction.

The United Nations' humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, has called for sanctions against Venezuela to be relaxed, emphasizing that they should not impede the delivery of aid or recovery efforts following a devastating earthquake. Fletcher stressed the importance of humanitarian exemptions, stating that "nothing we need for humanitarian support should be subject to sanctions."

For us it is always important that we have humanitarian exceptions, that nothing we need for humanitarian support is subject to sanctions.

— Tom FletcherUN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs explaining the need for sanctions relief.

Speaking from Playa Grande, one of the areas hardest hit by the seismic event, Fletcher anticipates a "very difficult economic situation" that could reduce Venezuela's GDP. He expressed a desire to collaborate with financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to move beyond the immediate crisis phase and support long-term recovery. Fletcher reiterated the UN's commitment to "insisting on humanitarian exemptions to ensure that no aid is subject to sanctions."

insisting on humanitarian exemptions to ensure that no aid is subject to sanctions.

— Tom FletcherUN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs on the UN's approach to aid delivery in Venezuela.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that an additional $300 million is required to reach 1.3 million affected individuals. This funding, in addition to amounts already raised, will support not only immediate humanitarian needs but also the long-term reconstruction of the country. Fletcher highlighted the goal of rebuilding not just neighborhoods, but also "hope."

In a crisis zone like this, dealing with such a complex operation, it cannot be perfect. What we have to do is coordinate as effectively as possible among all these different partners, including, of course, NGOs and the private sector.

— Tom FletcherUN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs discussing aid distribution challenges.

While acknowledging that aid distribution in such a complex crisis zone can never be perfect, Fletcher called for enhanced coordination among all partners, including NGOs and the private sector. He affirmed that robust mechanisms are in place to ensure aid reaches its intended recipients, with a firm commitment that "not a single dollar goes anywhere else but to saving lives." The double earthquake, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck on June 24, resulting in 3,685 deaths and 16,740 injuries, according to the latest official figures.

And we do not want to see a single dollar going anywhere else but to saving lives.

— Tom FletcherUN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs reaffirming the commitment to effective aid delivery.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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