Holistic Response for People in Humanitarian Emergencies in Ecuador and Peru (HOPE)

We are responding to the current migrant and refugee crisis in Peru and Ecuador. Large numbers of refugees from neighbouring Venezuela are coming to both countries due to political instability, an economic crisis, high violence and criminality rates and limited political freedoms in their homeland. According to data provided by organizations working with refugees, Peru currently hosts more than 1.5 million people from Venezuela, while Ecuador around 550,000. After leaving their country, Venezuelan refugees find themselves in a difficult situation, often without access to basic needs – food, water and sanitation, housing, healthcare, livelihood, income, etc. Moreover, the host countries are dealing with socioeconomic problems of their own. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Peru has become the most food-insecure country in Latin America. Around half the population experiences moderate or severe food insecurity. The country also faces an exceedingly high unemployment rate (around 20%), insufficient access to education and other related issues. As to Ecuador, a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, 10% of whom suffer from extreme poverty.

Thanks to the support of European Union we will provide holistic humanitarian assistance to especially vulnerable groups within the refugee community. We will focus primarily on single mothers who care for other people, as well as the elderly, children and youth (aged 0-17 years), victims of violence, disabled people, people suffering from illnesses, etc. The selection criteria will be clearly defined and announced beforehand, to prevent tension between those who will be given assistance and those who will not. To ensure the aid provided caters to their needs as much as possible, the recipients will be also included in the planning and implementation of the activities throughout the project. We will focus on three main areas – protection (legal counselling – legalization of residence, family reunification, etc.; protection from violence and support for victims of violence), healthcare (assistance and support of healthcare teams, mobile clinics for remote areas, public awareness) and access to food (food packages, hot meals). We will operate in 4 regions – 3 provinces in Ecuador (Garchi, Guayas, El Oro) and 1 in Peru (Tumbes). Overall, the project will benefit 64 364 people.

• We will provide basic humanitarian assistance to refugees and at-risk groups from local communities (distribution of food – both hot meals and food packages with durable food, access to water, etc).
• We will support the integration of migrants and refugees in local communities.
• We will reinforce public healthcare and facilitate access to healthcare for migrants and refugees (e.g., improve facilities – renovation of healthcare centres, supply of equipment, medication and lab tests, support to mobile clinics, implementation of specialized “care days” for women and teenage girls aimed at reproductive and sexual health, etc.).
• We will create opportunities for entrepreneurship, education and employment and will help people achieve financial independence and permanently settle in their new environment (e.g., by providing microloans for businesses, organizing workshops to boost business, etc).
• We will provide support and protection to vulnerable groups (women, children, people with disability, members of the LGBTQ+ community, etc.) to keep them safe from dangers such as violence, exploitation and human trafficking (e.g., by setting up a mechanism to help victims of violence, offering assistance with family reunification, disseminating relevant information, training community leaders in the identification of rights violations – violence against women, human trafficking, etc).