Nearly 8.4 million people live in conflict zones in Colombiawhich means that since 2021 there has been an increase of 3.5 million Colombians living in places where there is control of armed groups, an increase of 71%, according to a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on Thursday.
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“The suffering of civilians is being ignored. Both the government and humanitarian agencies providing aid must do more to address the humanitarian and protection needs of civilians,” the Norwegian NGO said in a statement.
In addition, in the first half of this year, murders, intimidation, anti-personnel mines and crossfire have prevented nearly 65,000 people to leave the areas where they are confined.
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And that way, compared to 2023, The expansion of armed groups has caused a 20% increase in people confined in the country.
Despite all attempts at peace, Colombia remains on the list of the four countries with the highest number of internally displaced persons, with 5.1 million people displaced by the end of 2023.
“Violence in Colombia has reached devastating levels, as it was before the 2016 peace agreement. All parties to the conflict must urgently prioritize ending the violence and protecting victims in current peace efforts. The opportunity to restore peace is slipping away,” said NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland after a visit to the country.
Violence affects numerous sectors, including children, who, among other things, cannot go to school due to direct or indirect attacks on schools, which are also used by armed groups or for forced recruitment.
Since January 2022, almost 30,000 students have been affected by gun violence, according to the NRC.
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“The scale of suffering caused by the conflict in Colombia is enormous, and the civilians affected must not be forgotten,” Egeland noted.
EFE
