The closure of several shelters, including the Vanessa Shelter in Pamplona, Colombia, due to a municipal order amid the COVID-19 pandemic, has left thousands of Venezuelan migrants without food or shelter. Vanessa Peláez, the coordinator of the Vanessa Shelter, along with volunteers, provides nightly assistance with food, clothing, and basic necessities to migrants. The situation has become critical with the health emergency, as migrants face hunger and are forced to sleep on cardboard. Approximately 100,000 Venezuelan migrants have returned to Venezuela, with around 20,000 stranded at the border unable to enter the country, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Over a thousand Venezuelan migrants are waiting at the border in La Parada, near the Simón Bolívar International Bridge, to return to Venezuela from Colombia. They have been waiting for days for Venezuelan authorities to authorize their entry, facing harsh conditions such as high temperatures and lack of basic necessities. Migración Colombia reports that 71,052 Venezuelans have returned home, with 56,850 crossing through the Simón Bolívar bridge. The capacity for Venezuela to receive migrants is limited, leading to restrictions on the return operation to avoid overwhelming the border areas. The governor of Norte de Santander has requested national government support to manage the health and safety of the migrants and the local population.

The closure of the International Simon Bolivar bridge in Cucuta due to security measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus has significantly impacted Venezuelans. Previously, an estimated 40 thousand Venezuelans crossed daily to purchase necessities such as food, medicine, or supplies. With the main route now closed, many are forced to take alternative, often perilous paths to enter Colombia.

The International Simon Bolivar Bridge in Cucuta, Colombia, which connects Colombia and Venezuela, has been reopened after months of closure. This has led to a significant influx of Venezuelans into Colombia seeking food and medicine, which are scarce in Venezuela due to the country's ongoing humanitarian and political crisis.