Feature

In Venezuela, food is now a privilege. As the country faces a severe food shortage, half of Venezuelan children are not getting to enjoy 3 square meals a day. Despite being home to one of the world’s largest oil reserves,...

In Venezuela, food is now a privilege. As the country faces a severe food shortage, half of Venezuelan children are not getting to enjoy 3 square meals a day. Despite being home to one of the world’s largest oil reserves, political decisions to lower oil prices in 2014 have taken a bad turn on people’s livelihoods and led to a crippling lack of food supplies.

As the crisis persists, children have been skipping school just to scavenge for food with their parents and queuing up at supermarkets overnight in hopes that shelves will be restocked. Many have also been fainting in school and missing classes due to fatigue and malnourishment. It has been reported that children were absent from school mainly due to food-related reasons.

Against the backdrop of the political uncertainty and economic unrest in Venezuela, the community spirit in one town is still well alive. Within the low-income neighbourhood of Caucaguita in Caracas, volunteers and residents are coming together to hand out free food. As Venezuelan children queue on the streets with empty bowls in their hands awaiting to be filled, residents and volunteers are giving what they can to ensure that the children of Caucaguita do not have to go hungry.