I recently traveled to Colombia with a World Help team, and at first, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew we’d be visiting refugees from Venezuela, but when we landed and started hearing some of their stories, I realized that hearing about the Venezuelan refugee crisis and seeing it firsthand are two completely different experiences.
To learn more about what we saw in Colombia, watch the video below:
Since 2014, over 7 million Venezuelan refugees have sought refuge in neighboring countries. 2.5 million of those refugees crossed over into Colombia. Most of them are looking for a chance at a new life.
But as we visited refugee centers near the border that separates Colombia and Venezuela, we soon learned that these refugees don’t even have the essentials they need to get by — let alone build a new life.
In fact, many Venezuelan refugees living in Colombia are struggling to survive every day. They know they can’t go back to Venezuela, but it’s becoming harder and harder to live without food, clean water, shelter, and other necessities.
These refugees have nowhere to go and no one to turn to for help.
Refugees in Colombia are stuck without the means to survive
If that wasn’t bad enough, nearly a third of all Venezuelan refugees are children. Many of them are going hungry. One of the most common sights in Colombia was children begging for food. These are images I will never forget.
The Venezuelan refugee crisis is one of the most under-reported humanitarian crises in the world … and it’s only expected to get worse. Venezuelan refugees need your help if they’re going to make it through.
And as you know, it’s not just Venezuela. The global refugee crisis only seems to grow each day, including people from countries like Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, and more. All too often, life as a refugee means not having what you need to get by. During my time in Colombia, that picture was clearer than ever.
That’s why I’m hoping you’ll help today.
You can help Venezuelan refugees who need food, water, and shelter
Every $35 you give will provide a week’s worth of essentials like food, water, and medical care to one refugee from Venezuela or another country like Ukraine or Afghanistan. Your gift will be a lifeline to someone who can’t afford what they need to survive.
What I saw in Colombia was truly heartbreaking — but with your help, there is hope. Will you be the hands and feet of Jesus to a refugee?