Brasilia – IOM, the UN Migration Agency on Wednesday (21/11) was awarded the National Human Rights Prize from the Government of Brazil for its humanitarian work assisting Venezuelans in the country’s northern border region.

The country’s acting President Rodrigo Maia presented the award to the IOM Brazil Chief of Mission, Stéphane Rostiaux, at a ceremony also attended by Justice Dias Tofolli, President of the Supreme Court and Raul Jungmann, Minister of Public Safety, among other dignitaries.

Throughout the year, IOM Brazil has supported the Federal Government in the relocation of more than 3,000 Venezuelans, supported the documentation process of more than 15,000 people and distributed aid to more than 6,000 beneficiaries.  IOM has also provided or supported several trainings and data production efforts, including the implementation of three rounds of the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

The IOM activities in support of Venezuelans in Brazil have been possible thanks to the financial contribution from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the European Union, and the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

The Brazilian government estimates more than 85,000 Venezuelans are currently living in the country as part of what is considered the biggest exodus in the recent history of Latin America.

The National Human Rights Prize is a biannual honour awarded by the Government of Brazil to organizations and individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights.

This year, 48 public persons and organizations were awarded, and these included the Ministry of Defence and other UN agencies dealing with the Venezuelan outflows.

During the award ceremony, Gustavo Rocha, Brazil’s Minister of Human Rights emphasized the challenge of providing assistance to Venezuelans in the State of Roraima, where IOM maintains a field office in the capital city of Boa Vista. IOM also supports the Federal Government’s screening centre in the border city of Pacaraima.

For more information, please contact Marcelo Torelly at IOM Brazil, Tel: +55 61 3038 9065, Email: mtorelly@iom.int