Colombia at a glance

The Displaced and Forgotten

The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Colombia are full of contradictions. Colombia is a middle income country with an established democracy, yet the FARC is the oldest and largest guerrilla group in Latin America and over 4 million people have been displaced from their homes since 1985. In all, the image of the county portrayed by the Colombia government, and the focus of the international media on the high profile hostage crisis, contrast with the hidden reality faced by the displaced and the rural population trapped by the conflict.

Support for the Colombian government and the hidden nature of the crisis mean that donors are reticent to fund humanitarian activities. Economic and counter-terrorism and narcotics interests dominate donor engagement with Colombia, exemplified by the US’s support for Plan Colombia. In fact, there is no Consolidated Appeals Process for Colombia and international donor humanitarian funding is low. In part, this is compensated by well-developed national response mechanisms, yet many people fail to receive the support they need. In all, contrary to the Principles of the Good Humanitarian Donorship, not enough is done to protect civilians caught in the conflict and the humanitarian needs of the affected population are not met in an impartial, neutral and independent manner.

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Colombia, IDPs, Barrio "Altos de la Florida", shantytown, Bogota. IDP family living in a small hut in dire conditions. © UNHCR, B. Heger, January 2006