,,iii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #gij ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #c1 #bjbj,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 and ,mr4 ,durbin7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,supporting efforts to strengthen protection1 assistance1 and solutions for ,venezuelan women and children4 ,whereas over #e1djj1jjj ,venezuelans have been displaced across ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean--the world's second largest displacement crisis--and at least #g1jjj1jjj people inside ,venezuela are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the country's ongoing political and economic crisis2 ,whereas the ,,covid-#ai pandemic is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in ,venezuela1 given the country's weak health infrastructure1 and posing particular risks for ,venezuelan refugees and migrants such as eviction1 loss of livelihoods1 border closures and other travel restrictions1 lack of access to health care for those without documentation1 and gender-based violence2 ,whereas it is well-recognized that displacement crises-- 7#a7 exacerbate pre-existing violence against women and girls2 7#b7 interrupt children's education and increase their exposure to violence and exploitation2 7#c7 cause major stress and trauma on individuals and families that can have profound effects on mental health and result in significant needs for psychological and social support2 and 7#d7 disrupt family and community connections that mitigate against such violence and trauma2 ,whereas1 between #bjae and #bjaf1 maternal mortality rates in ,venezuela increased by #fe percent and infant mortality within the first week of life increased by #ec percent1 and the dire state of ,venezuela's public health system has compelled women to flee the country in order to give birth2 ,whereas one-third of ,venezuelan households are food insecure1 with the greatest risk of adverse nutritional impacts on children1 pregnant and lactating women1 and the elderly1 according to the ,world ,food ,program2 ,whereas the growing prevalence of criminal violence1 especially intimate partner violence1 and human trafficking1 endemic corruption1 and impunity in ,venezuela has contributed to a significant increase in femicides2 ,whereas ,venezuelan women and girls report an increase in pregnancies of adolescent girls over the past #b years1 including many resulting from sexual violence and coercion2 ,whereas indigenous women and girls in ,venezuela's border communities face heightened risks of violence as a result of extreme poverty1 discrimination1 and the encroachment of extractive mining industries on their land2 ,whereas women and girls fleeing ,venezuela face grave threats of sexual violence1 exploitation1 and trafficking by armed groups operating in border regions1 such as the ,ejrcito de ,liberacin ,nacional 7,,eln71 and these threats have grown since ,,covid-related border closures have forced asylum seekers into unofficial border crossing routes 7trochas72 ,whereas the trafficking of ,venezuelan women and children is linked to organized crime and armed groups1 which often kidnap girls into trafficking networks in other countries and1 in addition1 forcibly recruit boys and young men2 ,whereas1 despite the generous policies of host countries1 less than half of ,venezuelan refugee and migrant children were attending school prior to ,,covid-related closures1 because of lack of documentation to enroll1 limited space in public schools1 and lack of resources to pay fees2 ,whereas governments throughout ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean have participated in a series of technical meetings to coordinate a regional strategy for the protection and regularization of ,venezuelan refugees and migrants--known as the 8,quito ,process0--and issued a joint declaration in ,november #bjai that agreed to strengthen measures against human trafficking1 gender-based violence1 discrimination1 and xenophobia1 and to establish a regional protection protocol for refugee and migrant children and adolescents2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has committed to strengthen international protection of women and children through the ,u4,s4 ,strategy on ,women1 ,peace1 and ,security1 which aims to 8promote the protection of women and girls' human rights2 access to humanitarian assistance2 and safety from violence1 abuse1 and exploitation around the world01 as well as through the ,u4,s4 ,government ,strategy on ,advancing ,protection and ,care for ,children in ,adversity2 and ,whereas the international community has prioritized addressing the issue of gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts by establishing a ,safe from the ,start initiative1 implemented by the ,department of ,state and the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 expresses grave concern for the massive and growing humanitarian needs of ,venezuelans1 including over #e1djj1jjj ,venezuelan refugees and migrants1 with particular concern for the impact of the displacement crisis and the ,,covid-#ai pandemic on women and children2 7#b7 recognizes the many communities across ,latin ,america and the ,caribbean that continue to generously receive and host ,venezuelan refugees and migrants while also fighting to recover from the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 7#c7 appreciates participation in the ,quito ,process by the ,governments of ,argentina1 ,brazil1 ,chile1 ,colombia1 ,costa ,rica1 the ,dominican ,republic1 ,ecuador1 ,guyana1 ,mexico1 ,panama1 ,paraguay1 ,peru1 and ,uruguay1 and encourages implementation of their commitments to strengthen national processes of documentation and registration and to bolster protections for ,venezuelan refugees and migrants subject to gender-based violence1 human trafficking1 and xenophobia2 7#d7 encourages governments hosting ,venezuelan refugees and migrants1 as well as international and nongovernmental organizations providing assistance1 to ensure that shelter1 health care1 food assistance1 mental health and psychosocial support1 and other basic services are accessible to women and children2 7#e7 calls on the international community1 including both humanitarian and development actors1 to focus greater attention and resources to address the violence1 abuse1 and exploitation suffered by ,venezuelan women and children1 including by disaggregating data by sex and age in needs assessments and program reporting2 and 7#f7 supports increasing ,united ,states diplomatic initiatives and humanitarian assistance to strengthen protections for ,venezuelan refugees and migrants and their host communities1 with an emphasis on the protection of women and children4