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The number of fugitives from Venezuela has increased, even though they have become a humanitarian crisis, especially on the border with Colombia. The New Arab has launched an investigation into this problem in cooperation with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Venezuelan migrants face many obstacles to accessing health services in the areas of Norte de Santander, Uroka and La Gugira. In theory, individuals have the right to access vaccines, secure delivery services and emergency care, but the medical needs of this group are very important and the Colombian system is not able to satisfy them.
During their last three days in their country, Bellis Córdoba and her husband have eaten nothing but mango. Then they understood that it was time to leave Venezuela. Months of food shortages they had rigged to eat so severely that their three children had a small amount of food each day and finally decided that it was necessary to leave the country to keep their family alive. "My husband earned a good salary because of his construction work, we had a relatively comfortable life, but the situation gradually deteriorated until we had enough money to buy clothes. sardines and corn flour When my mango was finished, we realized that we could not cope anymore. "
Bellis' husband first met his brothers who had emigrated to the border town of Colombia, Tibo, in the Norte area of Santander, and seven months later, she arrived with her five-year-old son. They needed extra months to bring their two other children aged seven and nine. Today, the whole family lives in the informal settlement of Davino Ninio, a group of houses with wooden floors, polyethylene walls and zinc ceilings, where Venezuelan immigrants who can not afford rents end up. . "Life here is not easy at all, but at least children have food," says Billis. Challenging Living Conditions and Risk of Not Receiving Food Two of the many problems that Bilis and his family are facing have recently been caused by a stomach infection. "As it did not seem serious, I decided to take her to the MSF clinic because the treatment is not offered to Venezuelans here in hospitals except in emergencies." "said Bellis.
In the border areas of Guagera, Norte de Santander and Uroka, Venezuelan migrants do not benefit from state-run medical services, with the exception of emergency services, vaccines and treatment services. delivery. As a result, between November 2018 and May 2019, more than 12,000 Venezuelans took refuge in the basic health care and mental health services of Médecins Sans Frontières. Marilyn Diaz, from Venezuela, came to Tipu a year ago and gave birth to her second child a few days ago at a local hospital. After leaving the hospital, she realized that she had to go to the MSF clinic to get medication and postnatal consultations.
Women and children in the migrant community are particularly vulnerable to access to health services. During the above-mentioned period, 40% of under-five patients visited MSF clinics, medical staff conducted approximately 2,500 prenatal consultations and more than 4,600 family planning consultations. The most common health problems among Venezuelans are skin sensitivity, respiratory infections, respiratory infections, urinary tract and gynecological diseases. The most common problem in children under 14 is diarrhea and intestinal parasites. In addition, about 1,000 people received mental health counseling. The most important symptoms are anxiety and depression resulting from migration conditions and difficulties in finding work and dispersing families.
"The lack of access to basic and specialized health services of Venezuelans in Colombia is a health crisis that deserves more attention from the international community," said Melène Remchao, director of Médecins sans. borders in Colombia. "The medical needs of these people have weighed heavily on the Colombian health system, which currently lacks the resources and the staff to provide badistance." Because of these restrictions, many sick migrants were unable to receive timely care in hospital emergency rooms, while they enjoyed the right. In accordance with the law. "We call for greater involvement of the international community to facilitate humanitarian badistance and improve Venezuelans' access to health care through direct support from hospitals, a crisis that requires urgent treatment," said Rimschau.
According to official sources, not only do the 350,000 Venezuelans living in these three border areas need medical services, but also the thousands of people who cross the border every day in search of medical care and medicines, and in many cases for non-urgent diseases requiring treatment They can not enter Venezuela.
Yamileth Gomez traveled more than four hours to travel to Colombia from Ciboroko, in the state of Tachira, Venezuela, in search of a treatment for diagnosed hyperthyroidism in January. "Venezuela does not have the medications I need and it costs me more than I can do at the moment." I even had to ask someone to say it because I do not have the money to buy a bus ticket. " Yamileth was a teacher but had to stop working because of voice problems, headaches, irregular heartbeats, vomiting and diarrhea. "Médecins Sans Frontières will provide badistance for the drugs and I hope to help them get back to a normal life," she says.
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