(Brussels) “As many people continue to suffer from the severe socio-economic crisis in Venezuela, the Commission has allocated today additional humanitarian assistance of €5 million to help those most in need. This is in addition to the humanitarian assistance totalling €34 million for the crisis in 2018 alone”. This was announced in a statement released in Brussels today. “Helping the Venezuelan people in need is a priority for the European Union. We are stepping up our emergency aid to help the most vulnerable who lack access to food, medicines and basic services and have been forced to leave their homes”, said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides. Support is also given to neighbouring countries receiving refugees from Venezuela. To help facilitate humanitarian assistance, the EU intends to open a humanitarian office in Caracas. The EU support includes “the provision of emergency healthcare, access to safe water and sanitation as well as to education”. The EU will also provide emergency shelter and food supplies. Commissioner Christos Stylianides visited Colombia in March last year and travelled to the eastern border with Venezuela and the Simon Bolivar bridge, crossed by thousands of migrants on a daily basis.