During 2021, armed conflict and violence intensified in Colombia, says the Red Cross

In the report “Humanitarian Challenges 2022″, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that, in 2021, Colombia experienced “the worst consequences of armed conflict and violence”, given the intensification of conflicts in the country compared to 2020.

In the document, the ICRC announced that, in 2021, Colombia reached the highest level in recent years of effects resulting from armed conflict and violence, with 884 alleged violations of international humanitarian law and other humanitarian norms recorded throughout the year, of which 59 per cent corresponded to homicides, sexual violence, threats, cruel treatment, arbitrary deprivation of liberty, use of explosive devices with indiscriminate effects, among others.

According to the report, among the departments that were most affected by these violent acts last year are Antioquia, Arauca, Bolivar, Cauca, Córdoba, Chocó, Norte de Santander, Nariño, Valle del Cauca, and others with lower population density such as Caquetá, Putumayo and Guaviare.

The ICRC explained that, among the major effects of the escalation of the armed conflict and violence that were documented in Colombia during 2021, is the increase in the number of victims of explosive ordnance, as the figure increased by 24 per cent compared to 2020: last year there were 486 victims of such devices, of which 258 were civilians.

According to the document, this figure became the highest recorded in the last five years in the country, with the departments that reported the highest number of explosive ordnance victims: Norte de Santander, Cauca, Chocó, Antioquia and Arauca.

The organization also showed the deterioration of the country's humanitarian situation during the previous year, documenting a 148% increase in displacement figures compared to 2020, since in 2021, 52,880 people were displaced in Colombia, mainly in Nariño, Chocó, Cauca and Valle del Cauca.

Added to that figure is the confinement due to armed clashes, since in six departments 45,108 people had to be confined due to territorial disputes between armed groups, that is, 60% more than in 2020.

The number of enforced disappearances during 2021 also alerted the international organization, since last year 168 cases of missing persons were registered, which was equivalent to one missing person in the country every two days.

According to the ICRC, the escalation of armed conflict and violence in Colombia during 2021 was also evident in the attacks suffered by medical missions, with 553 attacks against them reported, a figure that the organization rated as the highest in the last 25 years.

In total, according to the report, the country is currently facing six different armed conflicts, including the fighting between the National Army and some organized armed groups such as the dissidents of the FARC, the ELN, and the clashes that occur between the various illegal groups in Colombia.

Faced with the panorama, the ICRC called on presidential candidates to place the victims of the Colombian armed conflict among the priorities of their route of government, in order to assist them and, in addition, to be able to generate dialogues with armed actors to stop the attacks.

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