Political upheaval in Venezuela and a large exodus of people from the country and into Colombia every day has created one of the world's largest crises for children. 

35,000 people flood into Colombia every day according to World Vision, and over half of those people are children. Some of the children are travelling on their own.

“Girls and boys, in their tens of thousands, are suffering from the actions, inactions and decisions of adults," World Vision's International CEO and President Andrew Morley says. 

Morley says that the size and scale of the impact make it one of the worst crises affecting children in the world.

The United Nations estimates that 3.4 million people have left the country seeking a better life in neighbouring South American countries.

Tensions in the country reached a boiling point after presidential elections in May of 2018 saw Nicolás Maduro reelected to a second term. Many opposition parties had boycotted the elections in protest as many other opposition members were barred from running, while others had been jailed.

On January 23, 2019, leader of the legislature (National Assembly), Juan Guaidó, declared himself acting president. Since then the country has been embroiled in large protests, with most seeking Maduro's removal.

The country's economy has seen hyperinflation occurring, food shortages, and poor healthcare access.

Venezuela was once considered to be the richest nation in Latin America because of large oil reserves, according to World Vision. "But more than a decade of declining oil revenue and poor governance for over a decade the national economy collapsed, and the government has not been able to provide adequate social services."

World Vision estimates that 460,000 children are in immediate danger because of the crisis.