CDAC member, Dahlia, recently conducted a mission to understand the humanitarian communication mechanisms in the response to the Venezuelan migration crisis. This study provides a snapshot of the situation with respect to the mechanisms of communication, information, feedback, and community participation in the Venezuelan crisis, based on interviews and site observations in Colombia and Ecuador. Through this quick analysis Dahlia attempted to provide an independent perspective on the challenges related to the response to the migratory crisis in Venezuela and neighbouring countries. The team produced a short paper and video to disseminate the results of this research and support efforts placing the needs and views of affected people at the heart of the response.
The crisis, triggered by large numbers of Venezuelans leaving their country, is currently one of the most pressing in the world: the coordination platform for refugees and migrants from Venezuela (R4V) reports 4,296,000 people have left the country as of August 5, 2019. The crisis is not well characterised or understood, given that there is a lack of information regarding what is happening in Venezuela, the concrete causes of the humanitarian crisis in the country, the effects and impact on the population’s level of access to basic needs and services and the triggers of migration. The most vulnerable migrants who travel on foot through Colombia to other destinations farther from the border are called “caminantes” or walkers. Dahlia’s work seeks to gather their testimonies and give a voice to those affected by the crisis.
The importance of communication with communities (CwC), in general in the field of humanitarian aid and in particular in this type of crisis, has been recognised and constitutes an unresolved challenge. Increasingly referred to as Communication, Community Engagement and Accountability (CCEA), CwC is an emerging field with key international policies and guidelines including strong reference to this. In practice, their application in the Venezuelan migration response has been less systematic despite among other enabling factors, the lesser language barrier.
Crucial steps include developing information and awareness campaigns to disseminate relevant information and fight against xenophobia, implementing strong communication mechanisms with communities, and carrying out feedback and accountability systems. Although these are important elements of a response, those interviewed during our mission, migrants and key stakeholders, stated that the elements of communication with communities have yet to be integrated in the architecture of the humanitarian response. The response has been characterized as reactive and assistance-focused, and this seems to lead to a weaker strategic response in CwC/CCEA terms.
Stigmatisation and xenophobia are explicit concerns recognised by the aid system, it is one of the pillars in the Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan, and there are numerous campaigns in this regard from leading agencies and specific work in some programmes. Community-based approaches integrating host communities and migrants initiated by different agencies and NGOs have had limited results so far.
Although there is greater awareness at the global level, these initiatives have not necessarily led to change on the ground in contrast to other crises. There is an opportunity to not only listen to migrants and refugees but to also act on what we hear. A summary of the challenges includes: