Colombia

KEY PRIORITIES

Protection: continued conflict – particularly in rural and border areas – has resulted in increased threats against civilians, displacement, confinements, sexual and gender-based violence, and forced recruitment. Massacres and the targeted killing of social leaders and human rights defenders have increased in 2021. The departments of greatest concern are Chocó, Antioquia, Córdoba, Cauca, Norte de Santander, Arauca, Putumayo, and Nariño. ?

Food security: at least 7,354,034 people in Colombia are in need of food assistance, particularly in the areas most affected by armed conflict and natural hazards. Armed groups’ activity has restricted access to land, affecting agricultural production, as well as access to and the availability of food. ?

Health: at least 3.1 million people in Colombia are in need of health assistance in 2021. Infrastructure and the response capacity at the national level are limited, particularly in border areas and areas affected by armed conflict.?

Shelter and NFIs: during mass displacement, people take shelter in family homes, communal houses, schools, and other improvised facilities. These structures and facilities often face overcrowding and a lack of basic sanitation. The need for shelter is also required for Venezuelan migrants and refugees. ?

WASH: there are at least 4.6 million people in need of WASH in Colombia. The departments of Arauca, Norte de Santander, La Guajira, and Nariño are some of the most affected by the lack of water and sewerage, which also affects a large number of Venezuelan migrants, as these are border regions with Venezuela. La Guajira is one of the regions with the least access to WASH; as a result of droughts and lack of aqueducts, only 21.1% of people have access to water and 11.8% to sewerage services. The need for food is also affected by the impact of lack of water for crop irrigation. ?

After the signing of the Peace Agreement between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) on 24 November 2016, the conflict in the country has not ceased. ? This year marks five years since the signing of the Accord, but mass displacement has been on the rise. Between July–September alone, more than 15,644 people have been displaced in 21 mass displacement events – a 107% increase over the 2020 total of 7,542 displaced people during the same months.? From January–November 2021, at least 68,325 people were reported displaced in 153 mass events – double the total reported for the whole of 2020. ? As at 15 November 2021, 88 massacres have been reported, with 313 people killed as at September – a 9% increase compared to the same period last year. ?

The resurgence of armed conflict and the lack of state presence mainly affect the departments of Antioquia, Bolívar, Cauca, Chocó, Córdoba, Nariño, and Putumayo.? Fighting continues between armed groups over territorial control of strategically important areas and routes for drug trafficking and other irregular economies. ? The most affected population groups are women, children, indigenous peoples, Afro-Colombians, and social leaders. ? Armed groups seek territorial control and threaten Afro-Colombian and indigenous groups that govern autonomously and defend their territories. People who oppose the activity of armed groups are often intimidated, threatened, or persecuted.

The failure to comply with some points of the Agreement (such as the security and reintegration of ex-combatants and land restitution) has changed the dynamics of the armed conflict? and led to the return of 2–7% of the 13,000 demobilised ex-combatants to new armed groups, as well as the strengthening and territorial control of existing armed groups (as AGC and ELN) in former FARC-EP-controlled areas. ? The limited compliance with the Agreement's point on the Comprehensive National Programme for the Substitution of Illicit Crops (PNIS), which seeks to eradicate drug production, has enabled the replanting of illicit crops and strengthened criminal groups. ?

ACAPS is currently part of the MIRE Consortium, which focuses on providing analysis and humanitarian assistance to the populations in need through officers present in conflict-affected departments. Our analysts are following the humanitarian situation resulting from the armed conflict in Colombia on a daily basis.

The Urabá region comprises 11 municipalities in the departments of Antioquia and four in Chocó. In Urabá, there is a swampy jungle area known as the Darién Gap, which connects with the Panamanian province of Darién. In this subregion, there have historically been migratory transits from African and Asian countries, such as Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile (where people can travel with less restrictions), to reach the United States through Central America.?

During 2021, the number of daily arrivals to municipalities in Colombia and then on to Panama ranged between 800–900.? By the end of 2021, at least 133,726 people had passed through this border – more than all the crossings recorded between 2010–2020.?On 9 August 2021, the Colombian and Panamanian Governments agreed on a quota of maximum 650 migrants per day allowed to cross the border.?Given that daily arrivals are greater than departures, on several occasions, a large number of migrants have remained stranded in the Darién Gap for one to four months, waiting to cross into Central America. On some occasions, up to 22,000 migrants have been stuck in municipalities not prepared for hosting high numbers of people. This is the case of Necoclí, a town of just over 70,000 inhabitants.?

The stranded population, mostly from Haiti (76%) and Cuba (14%), lives across the towns in makeshift camps that lack WASH infrastructure and facilities, food, and necessary NFIs. The situation has put a strain on the capacities of local hospitals, where between 50–60 migrants are attended every day for emergency assistance. Most of them are pregnant women and children. Limited financial resources and medical staff jeopardise access to medicines, prioritised care, and treatment for chronic illnesses, for both the migrant population and the host community.? As of August 2022, at least 102.067 migrants have entered through the Darien jungle, of which at least 67% are Venezuelan. ?

Violence has become normalised and occurs with impunity, resulting in the underreporting of violent incidents. Internal displacement is often under-registered because of threats from armed groups against displaced people and people involved in the registration process. The extent and nature of confinement events are extremely difficult to quantify and characterise. The figures reported for affected populations tend to be under-registered, and the humanitarian response is often difficult to implement and may be delayed.

Colombia is prone to frequent natural disasters. The rainy season (May–November) typically causes rivers to overflow, leading to road blockages, limitations to agricultural activities, and damage to crops, homes, schools, and other infrastructure. ?

During the dry season forest fires are common, destroying large hectares of forest and restricting access to crops, leading to food insecurity and health concerns.