Some 8 million people in Venezuela need humanitarian assistance, many of them are children. LWF rehabilitates schools, and community spaces to provide safer, healthier, and more dignified environments. Photo: LWF Colombia/Venezuela
Protection, community resilience at the core of LWF’s work as 8 million people face hardship
(LWI) - In the midst of acute humanitarian needs across Venezuela, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) calls for sustained assistance to millions who still face daily hardship, and require protection of their dignity and human rights.
Venezuela needs us today. While aid overall is decreasing, 8 million people require humanitarian assistance, and every number has a face, name, and story,
Golda Ibarra, LWF Representative Colombia-Venezuela country program \
“Venezuela needs us today. While aid overall is decreasing, 8 million people require humanitarian assistance, and every number has a face, name, and story,” said Golda Ibarra, LWF Representative for the binational Colombia and Venezuela country program. “Children are getting sick due to lack of safe water, families are living in precarious housing, and many struggle to get their daily meals. We cannot look away: this is the time to join efforts, resources, and action and transform this reality together.”
Following the United States military action in Venezuela on 3 January, the LWF expressed its deep concern for the Latin American country, emphasizing that sovereignty and national integrity, and international law, must be respected. It affirmed solidarity with its member church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela (IELV) and with the communities affected by the situation in the country, which has been deteriorating for months.
Ibarra noted that the comprehensive approach adopted by LWF’s international humanitarian and development arm, World Service in Venezuela since 2019, responds to both immediate needs while strengthening community resilience, in collaboration with the IELV and other faith-based and community organizations. In 2024, LWF reached more than 60,000 people and supported over 100 schools through its humanitarian programs.
Since 2019, LWF’s response in Venezuela includes both immediate needs while strengthening community resilience. Photo: LWF Colombia/Venezuela
LWF promotes environmental education and risk management to address climate change. Photo: LWF Colombia/Venezuela
The LWF country program operates in the northern states of Carabobo, Sucre, and Delta Amacuro, delivering assistance tailored to local needs. Photo: LWF Colombia/Venezuela
LWF also participates actively in humanitarian coordination in Venezuela through the Forum of International Organizations and key clusters, including health, water, sanitation and health protection, and strategic gender and child-protection spaces. “We create safe spaces and access to specialized support for women, girls, boys, and adolescents; we promote environmental education and risk management to address climate change; and we rehabilitate health centers, schools, and community spaces to provide safer, healthier, and more dignified environments,” Ibarra said.
Beyond immediate relief, LWF remains committed to peacebuilding as a cornerstone of sustainable change. In Venezuela’s complex context, this work aims to foster social cohesion, reduce risks of violence, and lay foundations for lasting stability.
The LWF country program currently operates in the northern states of Carabobo, Sucre, and Delta Amacuro, delivering assistance tailored to local needs. Plans are underway to expand LWF’s presence to the eastern state of Bolívar and far west to Zulia, where humanitarian gaps persist.
