The UN called Wednesday on the international community to boost aid for millions of Venezuelan migrants threatened by the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has compounded an already desperate situation facing millions of refugees and migrants who fled Venezuela's economic collapse, said Eduardo Stein, the UN special representative for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. Nearly five million people have left since 2015, most ending up in Colombia and other neighboring South American countries, overwhelming healthcare systems. "Millions of refugees and migrants, and the communities hosting them, continue to need urgent support, particularly as the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic begins to be felt across Latin America and the Caribbean," Stein warned in a statement. UN bodies were combining with national and local authorities to help meet the new challenges posed by the virus in the main refugee communities. Measures are being put in place so that people can access information, clean water, soap and waste disposal during the pandemic, he said. However, a program set up in November to respond to refugees' most urgent needs in 17 countries, as well as local communities hosting them, has received only three percent of requested funds, putting at stake lifesaving programs throughout the region, he said. dl/db