OCHA Situation Report
Colombia
31 July - 14 August 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

I. HUMANITARIAN SITUATION OVERVIEW

MASS DISPLACEMENT IN CONDOTO (SOUTH OF CHOCO DEPARTMENT) CONTINUES

Until August 14th, 391 people have fled from rural Condoto to the urban
area. More people are expected to leave in the next hours.

Following the situation of mass displacement in the rural area of El
Paso in the municipality of Condoto reported by the Early Warning System
of the Ombudsman's Office on July 27th (see issue # 21), a new
displacement took place on August 14th, with an estimate of 238 people
(53 families) arriving to the urban area of Condoto, allegedly due to
armed confrontations and the presence of illegal armed groups.
Preliminary information indicates that only 19 people remain in El Paso,
and would be displacing in the next hours. As ICRC and the local
Ombudsman's Office confirmed that the first displacement affected 155
people (50% children), nearly of 400 IDPs are now in the urban area
looking for protection and assistance.

The local government and ICRC have been assisting the population with
food aid and non-food items. The Local Committee for IDPs Integral
Assistance held a meeting on August 1st to coordinate a local response
to the emergency. The local government is arranging temporary shelters
for IDPs in the municipality's schools. OCHA field office is assessing
the situation in close contact with local authorities and humanitarian
actors of the region.

NEW ALERT OF HIGH RISK OF MASS DISPLACEMENT IN BOJAYA

The increasing presence of FARC combatants in rural communities of the
municipality puts indigenous communities in danger.

According to preliminary information provided to OCHA field office the
communities along the Cuia, Napipi and Opogado Rivers in the
municipality of Bojaya (northern Choco) are at high risk of displacement
due to the alleged presence of FARC units in their territories since
mid-June. Even though the communities (mainly indigenous groups) have
conducted preventive and protection measures, the risk is still high due
to the reported increase in the illegal armed actor presence. In May
2002, 114 people died in the urban area of Bojaya in the middle of an
armed confrontation between FARC and paramilitaries.

DISPLACEMENT EVENTS IN ANTIOQUIA AND ARAUCA

Two more mass displacements were registered during the period under
review in the municipalities of San Francisco (eastern Antioquia) and
Tame (Arauca).

Local Ombudsman's office informed on July 23rd the displacement of 43
persons (15 families) from rural San Francisco after continuous threats
and the homicide of 3 peasants in 3 rural areas, signalled as Army's
informants (2 children among them) on July 16th. So far, information
related to the death of the three peasants is still unclear. According
to local authorities, 40% of the IDPs are women and 21% underage. The
local government activated the Local Committee for IDPs Assistance in
order to face the emergency and in coordination with Antioquia
department's government, Accion Social and ICRC is assisting the
affected population with food aid and non-food items. OCHA field office
reported that, as the houses set up as temporary shelters are damaged,
the local government, together with the affected people, are working to
repair them. Local authorities informed that the whole rural area of the
municipality is at high risk of displacement. It is note worthy to
recall that, in 2003, 1 out of 4 inhabitants of San Francisco was
displaced.

Regarding the situation in the municipality of Tame in Arauca
department, local Human Rights Organisms denounced that an undetermined
number of people fled from the rural area of Puerto Jordan, after the
homicide of a peasant and the kidnapping of 8 more that, according to an
ELN spokesman declaration through a local radio station, were released
on July 31. No further information about the displacement is available;
however, the source reports that civilians from the rural areas of the
municipalities are in the middle of FARC and ELN's struggle for
territorial control. So far, 15 persons have been killed in the
department of Arauca in the last two weeks and FARC declared an armed
strike since August 5th, causing food shortage. OCHA continues
monitoring the situation.

FOLLOW - UP: SITUATION OF AWA INDIGENOUS GROUP REMAINS CRITICAL

The Ombudsman's Office and Awa indigenous authorities issued a report
whereby they denounce the critical humanitarian situation of the
indigenous group.

As reported in previous issues, Awa indigenous communities have been
continuously targeted by illegal armed groups, drug trafficking and
minefields in Narino, particularly in the municipalities of Ricaurte,
Samaniego, Tumaco, Barbacoas and Roberto Payan, where the 25.876 members
of the indigenous group are settled. Whereas the alert continues for 11
reservations in Ricaurte due to mine planting, the indigenous
authorities' organization (CAMAWARI) denounced permanent displacements
and communities' blockades due to the armed confrontations between the
Army and FARC in the rural areas that border with Ecuador. So far, it
has not been possible to assess the situation because the access is
limited due to its geographical conditions and to the military
operations that are taking place. According to Accion Social, FARC has
impeded the access of humanitarian and medical missions to the rural
areas and continues planting mines along the roads that communicate Awa
communities.

As a means to make visible their situation, Awa communities declared
themselves in permanent assembly since early July, and together with the
Ombudsman's Office, released a report that analyses the causes and
consequences of Human Rights and IHL violations for the indigenous since
2000, as well as the severe affectation of their territorial autonomy,
special jurisdiction and cultural identity. Accion Social has been
delivering food and non-food items for the affected population in
Ricaurte and, in coordination with CAMAWARI and the local government is
currently formulating a contingency plan in order to assist the
population in the most distant rural areas.

FOLLOW-UP: HUMANITARIAN GATHERING IN CANTAGALLO

Representatives of the peasant communites of the south of Bolivar
together with Bolivar department authorities look for possible solutions
for the crisis triggered by aerial aspersion.

After a meeting with Bolivar department's Local Committee for Human
Rights, authorities and peasant communities have requested the National
Government for solutions for the communities' claims regarding the
consequences of aerial spraying over their health and food security. In
response, the Ministry of Internal Affairs released a procedure defined
for the National Government for this matter.

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=7A66DEC94A2112C94925733A0004F00F&file=Full_Report.pdf

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