Ecuador on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in three provinces after a huge number of Venezuelan migrants started arriving at its border to escape the economic crisis in their country, Reuters reported.
“The government of Ecuador has declared a state of emergency related to human migration in the provinces of Carchi, Pichincha and El Oro to provide urgent attention to the Venezuelan migrants on the northern border,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The state of emergency will last through August.
The immigrants are arriving at Ecuador’s border with Colombia. Venezuela does not share a border with Ecuador.
During the emergency, the government will expedite the deployment of doctors and social workers to attend to the immigrants’ needs. The police will also provide support for immigration proceedings.
The South American country said this week it started receiving 4,200 Venezuelan migrants each day. It, however, did not say how many had been arriving earlier and why the numbers may have increased.
On Tuesday, Brazil reopened its border with Venezuela, hours after a judge ordered it to be closed.
Venezuela has been struggling with hyperinflation and chronic product shortages after a global slump in oil prices and sanctions imposed by the United States brought its economy to a screeching halt.
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