Stories of Hunger in Venezuela

CARACAS, VENEZUELA - APRIL 12: Two boys of Barrio Unión - Sector Las Casitas eat soup prepared and donated by Alto Restaurant in the house of a neighbor at Petare on April 12, 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela. Local NGOs offer food to those in need, especially elderly people and children. "Barriga Llena Corazón Contento" Foundation has been supporting a nursing home and two soup kitchens in the community of Mesuca, Petare for more than three years. There are five Restaurants that collaborate preparing food from Monday to Friday. Each restaurant has its own recipe but all are made based on instructions from a nutritionist. Political and economic crisis has triggered a food emergency in Venezuela. Most supermarkets and shops do not offer a wide variety and amount of food and goods due to the shortage that affects the country. To struggle with semi empty shelves, Venezuelans have to navigate street stalls and vendors to get eggs, corn and wheat flour and rice which are the basis of the Venezuelan diet. According to the 2018 survey on life conditions ENCOVI, conducted by three local universities, 89% of people consider their incomes are not enough to afford a proper diet. Six out of 10 said they had gone to bed hungry because they did not have the money to buy food. International Monetary Found estimates a 10 million percent inflation for Venezuela in 2019 with skyrocketing rises in the price of food and goods, increasing the number of Venezuelans unable to access to a healthy nutrition. According to FAO Early Action on Food Security report 2019, Venezuela is in alert due to food insecurity and has no consistent humanitarian response plan. (Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images)