UN experts urge Venezuela to remove legal barriers to humanitarian aid – JURIST
UN experts on Friday warned that the recent earthquakes in Venezuela have worsened its humanitarian and human rights crisis and called on the authorities to remove regulatory barriers to humanitarian aid and aid provided by non-profits and NGOs.
The UN called on Venezuela and the international community to lift restrictions and respect civil society as a “key partner in aid processes”. He called for the active involvement and meaningful participation of affected persons in the provision of emergency shelter, “reconstruction plans and other long-term solutions”. The UN also called on the Venezuelan authorities to conduct their response in accordance with international human rights standards.
As the country grapples with the aftermath of the June 24 earthquakes, UN experts asserted that it is essential that organizations be allowed to provide aid and humanitarian assistance to affected communities. The UN emphasized that the state should prioritize “facilitating humanitarian action and respecting the work of all organizations.” Experts said:
Venezuelan authorities should end these restrictions and, instead, promote measures that facilitate the work of civil society as a necessary part of the reconstruction effort, including women and people from traditionally marginalized groups. (…) A coordinated response, without unnecessary restrictions, is urgently needed to ensure unhindered access for international cooperation, with a victim-centered human rights-based approach.
Quoting Law on the supervision, regulation, operation and financing of non-governmental organizations and non-profit social organizations as an example of such restrictions, experts pointed out that the law requires organizations “to complete the registration procedures at the Autonomous Service of Records and Notaries, which in practice are impossible due to the administrative silence of the government (…) arbitrarily suspending the legal status of organizations”. The UN experts also pointed out that under the regulations, banks are required to subject NGOs, domestic and international, to “excessive supervision”.
On June 24, two earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.2 and 7.5 struck Venezuela. According to Red Crossthe current death toll is 3,500, with more than 12,000 injured. Furthermore, the earthquakes have left the infrastructure severely damaged.
A recent UK assessment of the UN Refugee Agency FOUND that the humanitarian crisis has become severe, “with food shortages, basic services in ruins and increasing protection risks affecting thousands of people”. He underlined that Venezuela was already facing economic challenges, which have now worsened.
of International Disaster Response Law is the international law that guides governments on disaster preparedness and response, including how to mitigate regulatory barriers that may arise from international disaster response operations and international assistance.
