Bogotá, Feb 15 (Prensa Latina) Forced displacement emergencies in Colombia during 2021 increased 57 percent compared to the previous year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed today.
According to a report released by this dependency of the multilateral organization, in these emergencies, at least 73,300 people (179 percent more than in 2020) were forced to move from their territories of origin.
The OCHA detailed that it received reports of more than 2,400 direct attacks against the civilian population, that is, 37 percent more than what was reported in 2020.
He stressed that the actions of non-state armed groups against the civilian population are the main causes of forced displacement in this South American country.
Direct threats through phone calls, pamphlets, messages, among others, are the cause of 32 percent of reported displacements in 2021, he added.
He added that clashes and harassment between these groups triggered 37 percent of emergencies.
The UN entity specified that last year only 11,700 people were able to return to their original territories.
Meanwhile, more than 61,600 remain displaced in host communities, most of which do not have the necessary resources to meet the intersectoral needs of the displaced.
He stressed that the main needs of the displaced population are based on lack of protection and access to temporary shelter, food, health services, education and access to safe water.
In several of the displacements reported in 2021, people were identified who had previously suffered from this problem for the same reasons (presence and direct actions of illegal armed groups) in the territories of the communities, especially within Indigenous Reservations and Community Councils.
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