Venezuela is the second largest receiver of Colombian refugees in the world, after Ecuador. More than 200,000 undocumented Colombian refugees live throughout Venezuela, escaping persistent and widespread violence at the hands of guerilla and paramilitary forces in their home country.

HIAS began providing direct therapeutic services to this community by employing two psychologists in the border region of Venezuela in July 2007. Located in Guasdalito and San Cristobal, psychologists work closely with UNHCR offices in those locales to deliver psychosocial services. The program in Venezuela is largely modeled after the successful psychosocial program employed by HIAS in Ecuador.