WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is giving $247 million in humanitarian aid and $89 million in economic and development aid to Venezuelans, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Wednesday.

       "This assistance supports more than 7 million of the most vulnerable Venezuelans with critical needs inside Venezuela, the nearly 5.7 million Venezuelans who have sought refuge in 17 countries across the region, and the host communities that have welcomed them," Price said.

       (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)