US Boosts Venezuela Migrant Aid as Diaspora Passes 4 Million

The U.S. is boosting humanitarian assistance for migrants fleeing Venezuela’s collapsing economy, who now number more than 4 million.

Washington will increase assistance by $120 million to provide emergency food and health aid to Venezuelans throughout the region, according to State Department Officials.

That brings the total donated by the U.S. to address the crisis since 2017 to $376 million, the officials said.

At the same time it donates aid for migrants, the U.S. government has accelerated Venezuela’s economic collapse by imposing ever tighter sanctions aimed at forcing President Nicolas Maduro from power.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, an adviser to her father, visited Cucuta, the Colombian border city that is the first destination for many migrants leaving Venezuela by land. She was joined by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan.

Venezuelans trekking across the Andes on foot have become a common sight on Colombia’s highways, as have families asking for money on the streets of Bogota and other South American capitals.