The number of Colombians living in areas under the influence of armed groups has skyrocketed by 70 percent since 2021, with 8.4 million people now living in these conditions, according to a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
The threat is particularly palpable in rural areas, where armed groups operate using all kinds of tactics to impose their interests, including restricting the movement of entire communities known as confinement.
In the first half of the year, 65,000 people have been confined by attacks, intimidation, anti-personnel mines and crossfire, 20 percent more than the previous year. The NRC has warned that these are “invisible” victims who are not reached by humanitarian aid.
Colombia remains among the countries in the world with the highest number of internally displaced persons, with 5.1 million, while even facilities theoretically protected by international law such as schools are not spared from becoming “battlefields.” Since January 2022, almost 30,000 students have been affected by armed violence.
NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland, who visited some of the conflict areas this week, warned that for many Colombians the hope that was born with the peace agreements with the FARC “is fading.” “All parties to the conflict must urgently prioritize ending the violence and protecting victims in current peace efforts. The opportunity to restore peace is slipping away,” he said.
MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
The violence also affects migrants and refugees who cross Colombia, a group that, according to Egeland, should also be a “priority” for both Colombian authorities and those of other countries in the region.
“The humanitarian situation in Colombia, including refugees and migrants, requires an increase in funding from international donors, both for civilians devastated by the conflict and to support refugees and migrants trying to integrate here,” said the head of the NGO.