Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 14 March 2018

UN official warns of humanitarian “catastrophe” in Venezuela

he heard from Venezue- odus that has set off alarms
lan migrants makes raising across Latin America. Inde-
awareness of the crisis an pendent groups estimate
urgent priority. as many as 3 million to 4
“This could turn into an ab- million Venezuelans have
solute disaster in unprec- abandoned their home-
edented proportions for land in recent years, with
the Western Hemisphere,” several hundred thousand
Beasley said in an interview departing in 2017 alone.
following a two-day visit Beasley, who discussed
to talk with migrants in the the crisis with Colombian
Colombian border city of President Juan Manuel
Cucuta. Santos, said the ideal ap-
“I asked, ‘Why are you proach would have the
here?’, and the answer United Nations and inter-
people gave me was, ‘We national agencies attack
don’t have any food.’ And the problem by working
they said, ‘Even if we had inside Venezuela. But that
money, there’s no food,’” is not an option for now,
Venezuelan citizens arrive to La Parada neighborhood of Cucuta, Colombia, on the border with Beasley recounted. “I don’t because Venezuelan Presi-
Venezuela. Aside from providing health care, border cities are also coping with an array of public think people around the dent Nicolas Maduro has
safety issues, like a rise in prostitution and groups of men, women and children sleeping on the world realize how bad the repeatedly rejected offers
streets. situation is and how much of humanitarian aid as a
(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) worse it could very well be.” veiled attempt by the U.S.
By J. GOODMAN struggles with a humanitar- hunger, a senior U.N. offi- As hyperinflation and wide- and others to destabilize
Associated Press ian “catastrophe” along its cial said this week. spread shortages of food his socialist government
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — border caused by a flood David Beasley, director of and medicine batter Ven- amid calls by the opposi-
Colombia urgently needs of Venezuelan migrants the World Food Program, ezuela, rising numbers of its tion to oust him. Instead,
international help as it driven from their homes by said the harrowing reports people are joining in an ex- Beasley is urging the U.S.
and other nations to pro-
Panama: vide financial assistance
to Colombia, where the
Protest over infrastructure turns violent in Colon bulk of the Venezuelan mi-
grants are arriving. He said
Colombia’s government
COLON, Panama (AP) — A ter and flooded the streets, to break into some busi- than 50 percent complete. enjoys the confidence
protest over infrastructure giving off a foul stench and nesses. Images on TV news- “We are not applying of the global community
and insecurity turned into making life more unpleas- casts showed a police car make-up. We are rebuild- while Maduro’s does not.
violent clashes with police ant in an already dilapidat- aflame and young people ing,” Gonzalez said. Since the end of last year,
Tuesday in Panama’s sec- ed city. carrying merchandise out Despite being a key com- the Rome-based World
ond city, which is home A march called by a social of a business. There was no mercial port, Colon has Food Program has helped
to a strategic port at the and labor movement end- immediate word from au- seen decades of neglect feed almost 2,000 peo-
northern end of the coun- ed without incident in the thorities about injuries or ar- from a succession of gov- ple in Colombia, working
try’s interoceanic canal. city center. Protest leader rests. Public transportation ernments in Panama City, mainly with Roman Catho-
Demonstrators are angry Edgardo Voitier called on was paralyzed and stores leading to a protracted lic charities. A more robust
over what they see as the supporters to return to the were shuttered, though ac- decline in the quality of in- program is still in the works,
slow pace of a multimil- streets Wednesday and tivity was normal at the ca- frastructure. but Beasley said it’s likely to
lion-dollar plan to revitalize announced that a gener- nal, port facilities and the Protesters were also de- focus on pregnant women
Colon’s collapsed sewer al strike in Colon province Colon Free Trade Zone. manding more attention and children. He said it
system, creaky deficient would continue for another Government public works be paid to combatting could include a range of
supply and crumbling hous- 24 hours. official Jorge Gonzalez crime in the province, approaches, ranging from
ing. Ditches left open for But splinter groups of pro- asked Colon residents to which has one of the high- cash payments to the de-
protracted periods have testers threw rocks at po- be patient and said the re- est homicide rates in the livery of commodities for
regularly filled with dirty wa- lice, burned tires and tried vitalization project is more country.q feeding migrants.q