ISSUE 4 | January 24 - 30, 2009 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 1 Tel + 57 1 622 1100 | NY. + 1 212 201 2384 www.colombiassh.org

ISSUE 4 | January 24 - 30, 2009 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT

Events Humanitarian Situation 26 January 2009 Kidnnaping Follow-up: mass-displacement and Massacre confinement in Cauca IEA Victims Threats against community leaders triggered the

Displacement Events mass-displacement of 1,229 persons of the Guangui indigenous reservation Attack Against Infrastructure

Threats Against Civilians By mid September 2008, seven community leaders and teachers were threatened by UXO /APM Victims undetermined armed groups present in their Armed Confrontation indigenous reservation, causing the mass displacement of rural families from five Homicide communities into the urban sector of the town of 0 102030405060Bocas de San Francisco. To this date, threats have increased --those directly threatened (29 persons) remain in a temporary shelter in Bocas de San Events per department Francisco--.

Boyacá, Vichada Meta, Santander A similar event took place last 29 September Valle del Cauca 2008 in this area. Back then, 61 out of 112 families Arauca, Huila of the San Miguel de Infi community located in the Cesar, Sucre Atlántico, Quindío Guangui reservation were forced to leave their Norte de Santander homes by an undetermined armed group. To this Chocó, Bolivar date, 31 families that could not displace still remain D.C, Tolima confined in their territory under critical health and Antioquia nutritional conditions. On 1 January, one child died La Guajira, Cauca Risaralda of poor health. The current infrastructure for basic Nariño healthcare, education, shelter and communications Magdalena is inadequate. There is no presence of the Army so Caldas the indigenous guard has assumed the safety of the Córdoba reservation. Locals report a sense of generalised fear 02468101214 due to the increasing presence of unknown All data herewith presented was gathered from official sources by OCHA outlanders in their territory. 27 January 2009 Mass-displacement in 86 Wayuu indigenous persons displaced following a direct attack by an undetermined armed actor

On 27 January, UNHCR in Geneva issued a communiqué reporting recent incidents of violence against indigenous populations near the border with Venezuela (north-eastern department of La Guajira). Unidentified armed men attacked a Wayuu reservation, causing the displacement of 86 Wayuu from Uribia municipality into the Venezuelan state of Zulia. The Risk Report of the General Ombudsman’s Office issued on that same date indicates that the Wayuu indigenous community living in the town of Maicao is at high risk due to increased threats and homicides perpetrated by reorganised paramilitary groups operating in the area.

28 January 2009 Mass-displacement in Chocó department UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2 Tel + 57 1 622 1100 | NY. + 1 212 201 2384 www.colombiassh.org

ISSUE 4 | January 24 - 30, 2009 HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT

Continued combats and civilian homicides caused the mass-displacement of at least 79 persons of the indigenous community of Felicia in Alto Baudó

Five civilian homicides reported over the past days, presumably perpetrated by the FARC and reorganised armed bands known as “Águilas Negras” and “Los Rastrojos”, severely increased the vulnerability of these communities. The number of people recently displaced in this area varies. Press sources speak of 1,200 people that left their homes due to continued clashes among non-State armed groups. The local Ombudsman’s person informed there were 79 IDPs --adults and children--. The arrival of these IDPs in Quibdó (departmental capital) is expected within the following days. It is worth recalling that cases of confinement of the Wounaan and Embera Dobida indigenous communities have been previously reported (see issues 38 and 39). OCHA continues to monitor the situation.

29 January 2009 Intra-urban mass-displacement in Risaralda department Twenty one families of Pereira, the department’s capital, displaced due to increasing violence caused by gang fights

Homicides are rapidly rising in Pereira on account of gang fights in dispute over control in two marginal neighbourhoods --El Pulmón and Nacederos--. Several families are abandoning their homes fearing the gangs’ extreme impositions. Transit between these two neighbourhoods was prohibited by these gangs, killing everyone who ignores this rule.

20 January 2009 Increasing number of landmine victims in Local press sources report 12 landmine victims over the past 20 days in Arauca

In January one person died and 11 more have resulted severely wounded by landmines in the towns of Fortúl and Tame. According to the risk level classification of the Colombian Red Cross --calculated based on the presence or suspected presence of landmines--, Arauca is under “manifest risk”. The municipality of Tame is the second most affected town by landmines in Colombia.

4 February 2009 Context note: FARC releases more hostages

The release of hostages announced by FARC in 21 December 2008 started last Sunday with the liberation of three police officers and one soldier that had been in captivity for about 20 months. On 3 February the release operation for the former governor of Meta, Mr. Alan Jara --kidnapped on 15 July 2001--, ended successfully at 13:00h. Mr. Jara was transferred by helicopter to the city of Villavicencio (capital city of Meta) by the commission integrated by the ICRC and Senator Piedad Córdoba. A final release --that of former deputy Mr. Sigifredo López-- is now schedule to take place on 5 February. Mr. López is the only survivor of the 12 MPs that were kidnapped in on 4 April 2002. The rest were executed by the FARC in June 2007.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 3 Tel + 57 1 622 1100 | NY. + 1 212 201 2384 www.colombiassh.org