The former Belgian Foreign Minister stated that there is support from the EU for humanitarian assistance.
The European Commissioner for Crisis Preparedness and Management, Hadja Lahbib, was “deeply concerned” about the situation of more than 40,000 civilians displaced by the resurgence of guerrilla violence in the Catatumbo region (border with Venezuela) and asked that they be protected.
“Deeply concerned for the 40,000 civilians facing violence and displacement due to the escalation of the Colombian conflict in Catatumbo. International humanitarian law applies to everyone. Civilians must be protected,” Lahbib said in a message on his social networks.
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The former Belgian Foreign Minister also stated that, “with the support of the EU, humanitarian partners are intensifying aid on the ground” to assist the displaced.
The clashes between the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents in the Catatumbo region are has claimed the lives of between 60 and 80 people in the last week and has left more than 40,000 displacedaccording to authorities.
However, the authorities only They have been able to collect 41 bodies due to the situation that rural areas far from Catatumbo continue to experience. where the authorities have not yet been able to access.
In addition, there are more than 40,000 displaced people, according to the most recent figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which also warned that 12,520 people are confined due to violence.
Likewise, 573 people whose lives were in danger have been “extracted” by the military, according to the latest government report, published this Saturday.
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Among the fatalities are six peace signatories, while 12 ex-combatants of the former FARC are missing, warned the Colombian Ministry of Defense.
In this regard, the Attorney General’s Office indicated that it will intervene in the criminal proceedings that have already been opened for the murder of three of the six former combatants and a social leader.
