Devex: Cash transfers debate in Colombia complicates Venezuela response
“Humanitarian cash transfers are becoming more accepted within the humanitarian response community as both a more efficient and dignified way to meet basic needs including food and shelter for migrants and refugees. But opting for cash transfers over an in-kind donation for humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans in Colombia has met challenges from a government that continues to struggle to meet the needs of its own people, NGO leaders told Devex…” (Welsh, 4/18).

New York Times: In Polarized Venezuela, Red Cross Grapples With Aid Distribution
“Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers sifted through donated medication, hygiene kits, and surgical material in warehouses across Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday, as aid workers began to grapple with the challenges of delivering humanitarian supplies in a violent and polarized nation where even basic transportation infrastructure has crumbled. The launch of the large-scale humanitarian campaign by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also raised questions about how the international community can handle a humanitarian disaster caused largely by the policies of a government intent on staying in power, rather than war or natural disaster. … Indeed, the relief effort is further complicated by the clash of two men who both claim to be Venezuela’s rightful president, as well as by spreading lawlessness and the impact of American sanctions on the country…” (Herrera et al., 4/17).