Venezuelan Diaspora May Number 8 Million by Next Year, Group Says

(Bloomberg) -- Venezuela’s refugee population will more than double by the end of next year if the country continues on its current course, according to a study by the Organization of American States.

More than 3.4 million Venezuelans have already fled in the most severe migration crisis in the world after Syria, the study found. This diaspora will swell to 5.4 million by the end of this year, and to 7.5 million to 8.2 million by the end of 2020, according to the OAS.

Colombia is host to the largest Venezuelan migrant population, with 1.2 million, followed by Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil, the study found. While the international community donated $30 billion to deal with the Syrian crisis, it has so far only donated $200 million for Venezuela’s, according to David Smolansky, a coordinator of the working group that produced the report.

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