1,300 Colombian Minors Displaced by Violence Require Protection

Colombian Ombudsman Carlos Camargo on Thursday requested protection for minors evicted from their homes due to violence between armed groups disputing territories in the Ituango municipality in the Antioquia Department.

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After inspecting the urban area of Ituango and talking with the affected communities, Camargo revealed that there are 4,100 displaced persons, 1,300 of whom are children and adolescents.

Besides requesting the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) to guarantee special protections to the victims of forced displacement, he committed to personally support in the management of this situation.

"Farmers are being sheltered in schools and there is a shortage of food and mattresses," community leader Edwin Usuga said, adding that 10 people had to be isolated due to a COVID-19 outbreak in one of the shelters.

The delivery of aid to displaced families has been hampered by heavy rains in the area, which have caused some 50 landslides and impeded transit between Ituango and Medellin city.

Inside the temporary shelters, food shortages have worsened as the displaced people no longer have basic products such as eggs, bread, chicken and potatoes, Ituango Mayor Edwin Mira said and recalled that local authorities asked President Ivan Duque to react quickly to the humanitarian crisis that his community is going through.

In this area of the country, the forced displacement of the population began on July 22. However, a helicopter from the government of Antioquia and the Colombian Army arrived late on July 26 with some food and blankets.