Venezuela: UN agency provides training to help combat sexual violence

A United Nations-backed project in Venezuela has trained dozens of government officials and security force members on how to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and provide better care and protection for victims.

Medical and psycho-social care, legal and protection training was provided to about 100 workers from government institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and security forces by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the agency reported yesterday.

The training was held in Zulia state in the country’s northwest and was part of a broader effort by UNHCR – including workshops and a major forum – to tackle the problems of sexual and gender-based violence in the South American country.

UNHCR developed the project to help vulnerable groups in Venezuela, particularly the country’s large population of Colombian refugees who have crossed the border to avoid conflict in their homeland. Zulia lies next to the border with Colombia.