Latin America, Carribean host 2.4M Venezuelans: UN

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - The UN Migration Agency said on Friday that Latin American and Carribean countries host 2.4 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees.

Some one million Venezuelans have fled to Colombia, 500,000 to Peru, 220,000 to Ecuador, 130,000 to Argentina, 100,000 to Chile, 85,000 to Brazil and the rest to other countries, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.

"With rising numbers, the needs of refugees and migrants from Venezuela and the communities hosting them have also significantly increased," the statement added.

On Thursday, the UN Migration Agency and Refugee Agency said Venezuelans who have emigrated from their country have reached 3 million.

Venezuela has been wracked by skyrocketing inflation and its petroleum-centric economy has been devastated by the global decline in the price of oil.

Since 2015, many Venezuelans have fled the country due to shortages of basic necessities and hyperinflation.