General information

About the mission

Launch date: 1998
Local staff : 42
Expatriates :3

Key facts

Population: 45,6 million inhabitants
Life expectancy : 72,6 years (2007)
Human Development Indicator : 70 out of 177
Sources: WHO, World Bank, UNDP 

Humanitarian context in Colombia

After more than forty years Colombia is still suffering from the armed conflict between the State, guerillas from the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and paramilitary soldiers of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

The geographically widespread nature of the conflict and the fact that it has lasted for so many years have led to the displacement of massive numbers of people as a result of the violence; it is estimated that around three million people have been displaced. Thousands of people are unable to move around freely to gain access to resources in areas where there is a significant armed presence. Colombia is currently the country with the second highest number of displaced people in the world.

The joint impact of conflicts concerning land ownership and drug trafficking (there are 170,000 hectars of coca plantations) fuel the conflict, the solution to which still seems a long way off.

The lack of police presence in several areas of the country, together with an absence of political will, have effectively endorsed the impunity of those responsible for human rights violations and have reduced the possibility of assisting displaced or isolated populations.

The main victim in this situation is the civilian population which is targeted for support by the different groups involved in the conflict. Food insecurity is also a problem for those populations who refuse to give up their precarious sources of income.

In addition, there is also an economic crisis: 15.3% of the population are unemployed and 35.1% are underemployed. Around 64% of the population (82.6% in rural areas) live in poverty. More than 3.5 million children are not receiving an education. 52% of the country’s income is controlled by 20% of the richest homes and 53% of the land is in possession of 1.08% of landowners.

Action Against Hunger is concerned by the systematic violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law and by the attacks targeting the civilian population and the closure of places providing civilian populations with humanitarian aid.

The demobilisation of paramilitary groups in the country has caused controversy. On the one hand, it seems unlikely that the disarmament will really be effective (past experience in this field suggests that the population would continue under the violent control of self-defense organisations). On the other hand, the Law of Justice and Peace (July 2005), which would be used as a judicial framework for the reprieve of those demobilised, is a target of constant criticism.

Action Against Hunger in Colombia

Water and sanitation

• Constructing and repairing water infrastructure for both communities and families
• Building family latrines
• Constructing and restoring sewer infrastructure in communities and schools
• Monitoring water quality (bacteriological and physicochemical)
• Creating and supporting water committees

Food Security

•  Distributing food aid to people in emergency situations
• Distributing farming tools
• Repairing infrastructure and small-scale food processing systems
• Providing training and specialised technical assistance in marketing and
• Surveying markets research

Health

• Monitoring basic health indicators
• Running campaigns for vaccinations, delousing and micronutrient supplements
• Training community healthcare workers
• Training and educating people about nutrition
• Psychosocial assessment and support

Funding

ECHO, COSUDE/DDC (Suisse cooperation),  AECI, BBVA, private donations