Venezuelan migrants outside the UNHCR's refugee camp in Boa Vista, Roraima state in northern Brazil (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The UN agencies in a statement cited data from national immigration authorities and other sources, noting that countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are hosting an estimated 2.7 million Venezuelans, while other regions account for the rest. On average, during 2018, an estimated 5,000 people left Venezuela every day in search of protection or a better life.

The statement said Latin American countries have granted some 1.3 million residence permits and other forms of regular status to Venezuelans and reinforced their asylum systems to process an unprecedented number of asylum applications. Since 2014, more than 390,000 asylum claims have been lodged by Venezuelans, over 230,000 in 2018 alone.