UN HUMANITARIAN SITUATION ROOM - COLOMBIA REPORT AUGUST 2004 I. NATIONAL CONTEXT • As a response to the serious humanitarian crisis suffered by the communities along the San Juan River (Chocó), between August 21st and 24th a joint mission was conducted in order to observe the conditions in the area. This zone has been impacted by increased conflict over the past several months. As mission included participation by the Ombudsman’s Chocó Regional Office, the Regional Ombudsman’s Office, DASALUD – Chocó, the SSN Chocó Regional office, the local ombudsman of Istmina, the Mayor’s Office and the local ombudsman of Medio San Juan, along with the Diocese of Istmina-Tadó. There was support and accompaniment offered by representatives from UNHCR, OCHA and CODHES. The mission calculated that due to confrontations, no fewer than 1,376 persons were displaced to the municipal seats of Istmina and Medio San Juan. Also, in addition to the 155 families (640 persons) already registered in SUR by SSN, the mission received information from another 149 families (606 persons) not registered in SUR who were displaced from San Miguel and Salado-Isla de Cruz, to Bebedó, Chambacú, Dipurdú, Paimadó, Puerto Murillo and Las Quebradas. There were an undetermined number of families who still remain behind, living along rivers and in mountainous areas. The mission confirmed that the blockade has been ongoing for more than two months and was put in place by armed groups. The blockade obstructs the free movement of persons and the transport of foodstuffs and traditional products that are normally acquired in Istmina municipality. This situation has impacted local health conditions, food security and education services for all of these communities, with a particularly harsh impact among children, since the blockade also affects food programs for local schools. • On August 6th, before an audience of 180 persons, UNHCR presented the “Balance of Public Policy for Prevention and Attendance of Forced Displacement in Colombia 2002-2004”. This brought together conclusions and recommendations based on an evaluation that included holding 10 “roundtable” discussions on regional topics, along with interviews with 23 experts from State and Civil Society institutions. As part of this evaluation, UNHCR has stated that there has been important progress made, including Government recognition of the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Colombia, an established legal framework, and improvements to emergency assistance provided to persons involved in mass displacements. In addition, UNHCR expressed its concern regarding a lack of emergency assistance for individual displacements, the dismantling of important positive discrimination policies for IDPs, and a government emphasis on returns as the sole long-run solution. • The Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento, CODHES, published in its Bulletin #54, a report on the humanitarian situation along the border. The document highlights the critical situation faced by Colombians fleeing the armed conflict and fumigation operations against illicit crops to Ecuador. CODHES noted that Ecuadorian social organizations have reported the persecution and assassination of Colombians who are members of refugee organizations; many family members have made formal allegations of these events to the Ecuadorian authorities. CODHES also expressed concern regarding what it considers the “invisibility” of the conflict along the border with Panama, as well as the closure of that border, which could lead to negative impacts for the protection of the civilian population attempting to flee the conflict. CODHES has noted an increase in forced displacement along the borders. Throughout 2003, according to SISDHES, a total of 19,378 persons were displaced across the borders, while during the first six months of 2004 a total of 14,079 persons were displaced in border areas. 1 Project funded by: II. ARMED CONFLICT - AFFECTED POPULATION A) Population movements Sucre: SUR registered 251 families. Guajira: Uribia: Return of 520 persons. Chocó: Istmina: Displacement of 150 families.Istmina, Medio San Juan and Cesar: Becerril and Valledupar: At- Sipí: At-risk communities. risk communities. A ntioquia: Ituango: Displacement of 22 families. San Carlos: Displacement of 79 persons. San Carlos, San Francisco and Sons ón: At-risk communities. Casanare: Aguazul, Maní, Monterrey and Tauramena: At- risk communities. Valle del Cauca: Calima – Darién: Displacement of 73 persons. Tuluá: Displacement of 58 families. Return of 96 persons. Arauca: Puerto Rondón and Tame: At-risk communities. R isaralda: Pereira and Quinchía: Displ acement of 17 families to Pereir a, 12 families to Quinchíaand an undetermined number from Caldas to other departments. Cundinamarca: Apulo: At-risk community. Caldas: La Merced: At-risk Nariño: Cumbitara and Policarpo community. Displacement of several families Policarpa: At-risk communities.. Caquetá: Curillo: Displacement of approximately 200 persons. Amazonas: SUR registered 9 families B) Other Impact At-risk communities: San Carlos, San Francisco y Sonsón (Antioquia); Puerto Rondón y Tame (Arauca), La merced (Caldas), Aguazul, Maní, Monterrey and Tauramena (Casanare); Becerril y Valledupar (Cesar); Itsmina, Medio San Juan y Sipí (Chocó), Apulo (Cundinamarca), Policarpo (Nariño). Returns: Uribia (La Guajira), Tuluá (Valle del Cauca). 2 Project funded by: RESPONSE ACTIVITIES NATIONAL LEVEL ICRC with support from Reported that during the weeks July 25 to August 29, offered emergency the Colombian Red Cross assistance to 1,331 IDP families. IOM Began a project for Afro-Colombians to create a sensitization and training strategy for the National Census 2005. WFP Reported 10,825 beneficiaries through “Food for Training” projects. Benefited 39,025 persons through “Food for Work” projects. ANTIOQUIA FAO Providing harvest handling and commercialization training through the project “Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition” to benefit 3,500 families. ARAUCA Tame ICRC Visited communities in Alto Cauca and Puente Tabla, applied vaccines to 252 persons. BOLIVAR Arjona, María PAHO/WHO Provided materials and technical support to the NGO “Terres des Hommes” La baja and to work on healthy housing. Palenque CAQUETA Belén de los IOM Implementing a displacement prevention project through income generation Andaquíes and food security strategies, to benefit 1,181 persons. Finished remodeling of a health post in the inspection Puerto Torres, to ICRC serve 1,000 local inhabitants. Florencia, IOM Developing a Departmental Micro-Credit Fund for Caquetá, to assist IDP and Cartagena del receptor families from strata one and two, to benefit 1,300 persons. Chairá and Morelia CASANARE Maní and Casanare Section Visited these municipalities to monitor local authorities’ commitments and to Villanueva Ombudsman’s Office verify the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance. CAUCA Mercaderes ICBF and IOM Supporting project “Improving Attention Quality of School Cafeterias in Urban School El Porvenir” to benefit 106 vulnerable children. CÓRDOBA Montería and PAHO/WHO and Red Preparation of Neighborhood Emergency Plans. Montelíbano Cross Córdoba Section PAHO/WHO Supported Secretary of Health in sensitization of Mayors to implement AIEPI strategy. Also successfully lobbied for Cicular DG-005, ordering Mayors to guarantee medical supplies against prevalent childhood diseases. Included “ethnic, disabled and displaced” criteria in Public System for Health Monitoring. Montelíbano PAHO/WHO Completed training on emergency and disaster prevention and assistance in El Porvenir neighborhood, where many IDPs are resident. CUNDINAMARCA Venecia SSN and Colombian Red Began project “Construction of an Organic Biofactory and Construction of Cross Sanitary Units for 10 relocated families in Singapur ranch, Chorrera vereda”. Soacha PAHO/WHO Reopened its field office and re-established contacts with counterparts in the municipality to coordinate activities with IDPs. CHOCÓ UNHCR Held a workshop for 40 representatives of mass displacements between 1996 Quibdó and 1999. This group is still not included in the SUR registry of the SSN. The workshop focused on Guiding Principles of Displacement, Law 387//97 and Constitutional Court decision T-025. IOM and Education Training 200 teachers on the New School methodology, adapting it to the Development Center needs of Afro-Colombians on the Pacific Coast. 3 Project funded by: MAGDALENA Cerro Azul, La ICRC Provided accompaniment to personnel of Hospital de Aracataca for Fuente and vaccination activities. A total of 205 vaccinated. Río Piedra NARIÑO Barbacoas, UNHCR, Community Visited these municipalities to follow-up on a June mission. The mission Maguí Payán, Ombudsman of the Pacific noted several protection deficiencies and a lack of humanitarian assistance Olaya Herrera Coast and Pastoral Social for IDPs, and returned and at-risk persons. and Roberto Tumaco Payán Pasto PAHO/WHO Offering technical support to begin activities for the Health Emergency Operations Center. The emergency health worker network in municipalities around Galeras volcano trained in management of humanitarian supplies. Tumaco IOM Implementing a basic sanitation project through a dry septic tank system for 200 families. NORTE DE SANTANDER Cúcuta IOM Implementing a project to construct 123 basic housing units for an equal number of families. Teorama IOM Building a sewage system to treat and collect waste water in the area, includes construction of 78 sanitary units