Venezuela is in a state of crisis. Tragically, the worst may still be on the way, as the country teeters on the verge of collapse. The International Monetary Fund estimates that, this year, the country's inflation rate will reach an astonishing 10 million percent, while its unemployment rate will go well above 30 percent, hitting 45 percent in 2023. It is all too common to find dying infants and helpless patients in hospitals unable to provide basic services; there is a shortage of around 85 percent of all medicines in the country. Nearly 90 percent of Venezuela's population now lives in poverty, and most Venezuelans are struggling to buy enough food to feed themselves and their families. In fact, more than half of families cannot meet basic food needs, with countless Venezuelans starving. In this environment, crime has become rampant; indeed, more than 73 Venezuelans died a violent death every day in 2017. Caracas, the capital, is consistently ranked as either the most or second most violent city in the world. It is no wonder that, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency and International Organization for Migration, more than three million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015. Another two million could leave this year.
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