Document Type

Hungry Cities Research Briefs

Publication Date

10-2024

Abstract

The Venezuelan migration crisis has transformed the socio-political landscape in Latin America. According to official data, by November 2023, Ecuador had the fourth highest number of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, at more than 474,000 people (Working Group for Refugees and Migrants, 2024). In this context, food insecurity has been a major factor impacting Venezuelan families’ decision to migrate. According to data from the Foreign Agricultural Service (2023), average monthly income in Venezuela in July 2022 was only USD161, which barely covered one-third of the cost of the basic food basket, making food security a major driver of migration in the region. Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, an estimated one in three people in Venezuela (32.3%) were facing food insecurity (World Food Programme, 2019). In addition, the UNHCR reports that 40% of the people arriving in Ecuador are women and girls, and 20% of women are accompanied by children (Ripoll & Navas-Alemán, 2018).

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