Colombia: Improved government response yet to have impact for IDPs

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^{31 December 2010}

Internal armed conflict and human rights violations by armed groups have caused massive internal displacement in Colombia for four decades or more. At the end of 2010, 3.6 million people had been displaced in Colombia according to the government, and 5.2 million according to the independent Observatory on Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES); both figures are cumulative figures and do not account for those who may have found durable solutions.

In September 2010, the military commander of the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was killed by the security forces, but the group confirmed its intention to continue its activities. Meanwhile, armed groups that emerged after the demobilisation in 2006 of paramilitaries continued to operate in 25 out of 33 departments; it was reported that they had up to 9,000 members.

In 2010, 95,000 people were newly displaced according to the government, and 280,000 according to CODHES. Direct threats by armed actors caused over half of new displacements, while assassinations of family members, massacres, and confrontations between combatants were significant causes. In 2010, thousands of Colombians also sought asylum in neighbouring Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama.

In 2010 as in previous years, most people were displaced from the countryside towards towns and cities. Mass displacements took place predominantly in the departments of Nariño, Antioquia, Chocó, and Valle del Cauca, and affected mostly indigenous peoples. Additionally, as many as 2,600 people were reportedly displaced within urban areas as a result of violence and insecurity, particularly in the cities of Medellín, Bogotá, Soacha and Neiva.

Under-registration of IDPs in the government registry (the RUPD) persisted, as IDPs did not come forward out of fear or ignorance of procedures, and because many who requested it were denied registration. In 2010, the government continued to implement the 2009 ruling by the Constitutional Court requiring it to address under-registration through information campaigns, by registering applicants rejected in previous years, by sharing information between the RUPD and other government databases, and by registering children who had been born to internally displaced parents after they registered.

Only IDPs included in the RUPD accessed special assistance. In 2010, the government and a civil society group carried out nationwide surveys to gather information about their living conditions. Both surveys found that progress had been made guaranteeing IDPs’ access to education and health care: roughly 80 per cent of internally displaced children attended school, and around 90 per cent of IDPs were registered in the subsidised health system. However, the access to housing and emergency humanitarian support was still limited in 2010: only a small minority of registered IDPs enjoyed these basic necessities, while about half of IDPs did not enjoy food security.

The lack of sustainable livelihoods was a critical obstacle to IDPs, and they remained significantly poorer than the non-displaced population. Female-headed households were particularly at risk, as 60 per cent of work for internally displaced women was in informal labour markets, and 20 per cent in domestic service, with lower pay and longer working hours. The situation of internally displaced Afro-Colombian women was even more precarious, with only about five per cent earning the minimum salary.

Colombia’s new president, Juan Manuel Santos, took office in August 2010. In contrast to the previous government, his administration has signalled an intention to support the res-titution of land to IDPs. To this end, it drafted new provisions on internal displacement, including a bill that was submitted to Congress in September 2010 which included elements strengthening the position of IDPs seeking to recover their land.

After declaring in 2004 that the inadequate response to internal displacement by the Government amounted to an “unconstitutional state of affairs”, the Constitutional Court continued its oversight of the response to internal displacement in 2010. The government reported on the status of its IDP programmes and plans, but by the end of the year, the Court had yet to rule on whether the “unconstitutional state of affairs” still pertained.

The UN continued in 2010 to implement the cluster sytem to coordinate humanitarian action in Colombia, with positive outcomes including better information sharing and communication among international agencies. However, the need was identified for a more widespread international presence to prevent violations and better protect vulnerable groups including IDPs. Finally, the lack of a consolidated appeals process in Colombia was identified as an impediment to the quick mobilisation of international support.

Colombia: Land restitution goes forward despite violent resistance and complaints on lack of consultation (9 December 2011)

A decree to implement the Victim’s Law, which was adopted in 2010 to provide redress to the victims of conflict in Colombia including the restitution of property to IDPs, is expected to be adopted in December. It was reported on 6 December that nearly 400,000 hectares of land had already been recovered for restitution to dispossessed owners under the Law’s mechanisms.

The President has said that the government will punish those who oppose the property restitution, and has offered rewards for information concerning threats made against its supporters. His statements follow a succession of threats and assassinations of land rights activists, and an appeal by the Colombia office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for stronger action to defend IDP advocates. Meanwhile, Afro-Colombian communities have reported that they have not been effectively consulted in the processes to adopt and implement the law, a right which the Consitutional Court has confirmed.

Meanwhile, the second rainy season which began in September this year, has caused the death of over 100 people and affected almost 500,000 across Colombia, but particularly in the departments of Antioquia, Choco, and Norte de Santander where levels of conflict-induced displacement are high.  

See also: IDMC Colombia country page

Colombia’s government, led since 2010 by President Juan Manuel Santos, has changed its discourse in favour of those who have suffered human rights violations due the conflict and violence within the country. However, it is yet to translate this into effective action to protect the rights of Colombia’s internally displaced people (IDPs) and other victims of conflict. Displacement has continued in 2011 at the same rate as in previous years, as have attacks on IDPs and human rights activists. IDPs continue to have only limited access to the basic necessities of life.

CORRECTION: The government allocated COP 6.1 trillion ($3.4 billion) in its 2012 budget to support the implementation of the 2011 “Victims’ Law”. It also reportedly set aside COP 1.65 trillion ($910 million) to prevent or reduce the risk of disasters during the 2011 rainy season. (...)

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Mejoras en la respuesta gubernamental aún no surten efecto en los desplazados internos

El gobierno colombiano, dirigido desde 2010 por el Presidente Juan Manuel Santos, ha modificado su discurso en favor de aquellos que han sido víctimas de violaciones de los derechos humanos debido al conflicto y la violencia dentro del país. Sin embargo, todavía no se han aplicado medidas eficaces para proteger los derechos de los desplazados internos y otras víctimas del conflicto en Colombia. El desplazamiento ha continuado en 2011 al mismo ritmo que en años anteriores, así como los ataques contra los desplazados internos y los defensores de los derechos humanos. Los desplazados internos siguen teniendo solamente acceso limitado a las necesidades básicas para vivir. (...)

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