KUNO Covid-Café: A double crisis in Colombia

KUNO presents a new series of Covid-Café’s on specific countries: Afghanistan, Colombia, Zimbabwe and Libya. What are the specific challenges in these countries? What innovative solutions did humanitarians develop? How do local civil society organizations and international NGOs cope?

ZOA and KUNO invite you to the online Covid-Café #7 on Colombia on Thursday 12 November, 15:00 CET.

KUNO Covid-Café: A double crisis in Colombia

Dealing with large groups of Venezuelan refugees and a severe Covid-crisis at the same time

Before the coronavirus Colombia was hosting 1.8 million Venezuelan refugees. Colombia was hit hard by Covid-19 and the government proclaimed a stiff lockdown. This was a though stroke for the (informal) economy. Over 100.000 Venezuelan refugees returned to Venezuela. They had no other choice; their livelihood had vaporized.

By now, Colombia seems to have slowed down the pandemic. The lockdown is lifted and the borders are expected to open officially soon. Humanitarian aid workers expect a wave of 200,000 Venezuelans to come into Colombia to look for better opportunities.

How do humanitarian organizations cope in the Colombian regions next to the Venezuelan border? And what innovative solutions did they develop to fight this double crisis?

Please join the Covid-Café with:

• Daniel Pedraza, Program Manager, ZOA
• Mike Boomer, Country Representative, ZOA

The Covid-Café on Colombia will be co-hosted by Kees Jan Hooglander (ZOA) and Peter Heintze (KUNO).

In the rather informal setting of the Covid-Café’s, we discuss challenges and opportunities. We invite participants to come forward with their questions and remarks. We seek to learn from the experience of humanitarians in different parts of the world. And we certainly hope to meet you in the next Covid-Café.