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News > Colombia

Colombia: Over 28,500 People Forced to Displace Over Violence

  • Dozens of indigenous women live in a portal after being displaced from their community, Bahia Solano, Choco, Colombia, Jan. 1, 2021.

    Dozens of indigenous women live in a portal after being displaced from their community, Bahia Solano, Choco, Colombia, Jan. 1, 2021. | Photo: Twitter/ @CrisVargas05

Published 8 January 2021
Opinion

Displacements occurred due to clashes between armed groups, intimidation, and killings of social leaders.

The Ombudsman's Office on Thursday reported that over 28,500 Colombians were forced to displace from their homes in 2020 due to violence.

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"Forced displacement is a frequent phenomenon, but the government shows no concern. The victims have no support to restore their rights," Ombudsman Carlos Camargo said, adding that thousands of people live in doorways or makeshift shelters without the necessary health conditions.

The displacements' main causes are clashes between armed groups, intimidation, and killings of social leaders.

"The pandemic has worsened Colombia's humanitarian crisis. Many people are living in overcrowded places without access to health services," Camargo pointed out.

Nariño, Choco, Antioquia, Norte de Santander, and Cordoba are the most affected Departments due to the increasing violence unleashed by paramilitary groups in those territories.

Over 14,000 people were displaced from Nariño in 2020, which represents 50 percent of the displacements. In the Choco Department, 21 massive mobilizations involving over 9,200 people were recorded. 

According to the Ombudsman's Office, 85 percent of the people displaced in 2020 belong to Afro and Indigenous communities.

On January 1, at least 80 Indigenous families were forced to confine to a church in the Tibu municipality in Norte de Santander. They had to flee clashes between illegal armed groups fighting control of the region.

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