OCHA Situation Report
Colombia
Report for February 2005
19 April 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

I. NATIONAL CONTEXT

The Consultoria para los Derechos Humanos and el Desplazamiento (CODHES)
reported to the Humanitarian Situation Room that during the month of
February 2005, there was a significant increase in confrontations in the
Colombian armed conflict.  This increases risk levels and deteriorates
the humanitarian situation for the civilian population, particularly in
those communities situated in rural areas of the country, far from urban
centers.

During February, this organization monitored both military attacks as
acts of aggression against the civilian population, by armed actors in
the departments of Arauca, Antioquia, Bolivar, Boyaca, Cauca, Caqueta,
Choco, Cesar, Huila, Guainia, La Guajira, Meta, Narino, Norte de
Santander, Putumayo, Risaralda, Tolima and Valle del Cauca.  In the
month, according to CODHES, there were armed actions in 18 of the 32
departments of the country.

The NGO stated in its report that over the short-term it would be
necessary to unite forces, both between State institutions, and civil
society organizations and the international community, in order to
guarantee the humanitarian protection of the civilian population.  This
as well as to seek mechanisms that allow for demands to be made to armed
actors in the conflict, so that they fully respect the norms of
International Humanitarian Law and International Law with respect to
Human Rights.

In the area of public policy, CODHES reported that through Decree 250,
issued on February 8th, 2005, the National Plan for Integral Assistance
to IDPs entered into effect.  This Plan contemplates actions that the
National Government will implement for the prevention and assistance of
internal forced displacement in Colombia.

In this document, the National Government reports that it will allot
resources totaling US$243 million in assistance for IDPs, to be
implemented between 2004 and 2005.  According to CODHES, although this
is a sizeable effort, the budget allotment announced would barely cover
10% of the resources that, according to the National Government, are
required to attend the problem of forced displacement in an integral
manner.  These resources were calculated by the National Department of
Planning as totaling US$2.04 billion, and the total was presented in the
National Council for Integral IDP Assistance, on January 12th.

For this reason, for CODHES, the central question in the debate on
public policy to attend IDPs should be focused on budget funding by the
National Government, in order to guarantee the availability of
resources.

During February, events were also registered in the Peace Community of
San Jose de Apartado, where 8 civilians were murdered (including 4
minors), in events that aside from being repudiated by the international
community, are the target of an investigation by the authorities, in
order to clarify what occurred and to sanction the authors of the crime.
This event is also being monitored by Human Rights organizations.

The community of San Jose de Apartado enjoys provisional measures from
the Interamerican Court of Human Rights and, in March 2004, the
Constitutional Court requested the effective protection of this
population.

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