Winter in the southern hemisphere increases the challenges for refugees and Venezuelan migrants

The cold is nothing like what Wendy* had been able to experiment before.This 52-year-old grandmother and her family live in the street in Santiago, the Chilean capital, after having fled their country of origin, Venezuela, a tropical country where the temperature rarely descends below 20 ° C.

But since they fled to the southernmost nation in South America, the family had to face winter conditions for the first time.The imminent winter of the southern hemisphere regularly leads to temperatures below zero in Santiago, and Wendy and his family are concerned about the way they will protect themselves from the elements in the coming months.

"I miss words to describe how cold it is here in Santiago," said Wendy.“And people tell me that the usual winter conditions have not even started yet.»»

Not having the means to find accommodation, Wendy, her husband, their son, their daughter-in-law and their one-year grandson sleep in a makeshift tent that they mount every night by draping a blanket on a benchAnd while sleeping side by side under it, on flattened box.They use their bags as pillows, in part to prevent them from tearing them off during the night.

"We need covers, warm clothes and winter shoes ... We need everything, really.We have nothing, ”said Wendy in a sigh, adding that the cold has physical consequences on her."I am no longer 15 years old, so the Froit really affects me .... my joints hurt me, and my whole body is swollen.»»

Wendy and her family are not the only ones in this case.Among the more than five million Venezuelans who fled generalized food and drugs and increasing insecurity in their country, many have found refuge in Andean countries like Colombia and Peru, as well as in Argentina and in theChile, in the south of South America, where the cold can be biting.The arrival of winter in the southern hemisphere threatens to aggravate the devastating effects of the covid-19 pandemic, which has particularly touched Latin America and continues to rage in a large part of the region.The combination of the COVVI-19 and winter climate pandemic is a direct threat to refugees and Venezuelan migrants in many regions of South America.

Yamileth* and his family have already endured the cold several times during their long trip to the south, from Maracaibo, the oil capital of Venezuela, to Chile.

“In Ecuador, the cold was really intense.My child started to do hypothermia and vomit because of the cold, "recalls this 20 -year -old mother, who traveled with her 2 -year -old son, her brother, mother and her companion, bravingborder closures linked to the COVVI-19 pandemic in certain places.The family had to face even colder temperatures when they arrived in the Chilean border town in Colchane.“At night, the cold was extreme to the point that the sheets were covered with ice.»»

After more than two weeks in Colchane, where they slept in the street or in service stations, hugging each other to warm up, the family managed to gather enough money to buy bus tickets forThe trip of more than 2100 kilometers to Santiago.

But finally arriving at your destination has not improved their situation.Often they have no choice but to sleep on the street.They earn a little money by selling sweets to passers -by but, most of the time, they fail to sell enough to pay a hotel room for the night.In addition, being homeless has hidden costs: the family must pay to use a bathroom and so that someone monitors their skinny possessions while they sell their products.

Throughout the region, UNHCR, the United Nations Agency for Refugees, redoubled with efforts to help Venezuelans to fight winter conditions.In Chile, where around 460,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants live, UNHCR distributes equipment kits against winter conditions and thermal blankets, as well as cash help and good electronics so that people in need can buyHeating, fuel and winter clothing devices.

Equipment kits against winter conditions will also be distributed in Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay.In Peru, where winter arrived earlier than expected this year, affecting high altitude cities like Cuzco and Arequipa with more than 15 centimeters of snow, the UNHCR works with teams of Venezuelan volunteers to help the most vulnerable, including Peruvian indigenous communities.

While most of Brazil is a tropical country - with parts of the Amazon region recently affected by historic floods - the south of the country can become very cold in winter.The UNHCR does its best to collect funds and distribute warm clothes to Refugees and Venezuelan migrants in this region.

Wendy, the grandmother of Santiago who sleeps in makeshift tent, explains that she is frightened at the idea of the cold he will make this winter.

"This cold can really kill," she says.

*Family names are not indicated for protection reasons.

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