Supplies of drinking water for the asylum seekers and other migrants walking through the deserts of northern Chile, Iquique, Chile, October 2021

The severe social, economic and political collapse in Venezuela causes massive displacement of people. Millions of desperate Venezuelans are fleeing their country across the American continent in search of safety and new homes. Chile, given its wealth and availability of jobs, is a popular destinations for the asylum seekers and migrants in general. It is estimated that over 500,000 Venezuelans are now in Chile, and the flow of new people arriving does not seem to be stopping, with around 20,000 (conservative number) entering monthly, mostly through the mountains and deserts from Peru and Bolivia.

Yet, the policies of Chile are not necessarily welcoming towards migrants, which in turn, translates into a humanitarian crisis for the asylum seekers and some of the host communities. Increasing xenophobia against the migrants adds to the problem and makes the lives of the migrants to be even more difficult.

In order to help bridge some of the humanitarian and protection needs, many of the humanitarian organisations in the country are trying to roll out activities helping those in need. My trip to Chile this time around was to look at these efforts, and adjust the response of my own organisation, so that the resources are used to the benefit of those who need them, as effectively as possible. This album shows images from my journey across northern part of the country (as well as Santiago), documenting the work of many and the situation of those in need.

Please click here to access the images.