HUMANITARIAN BULLETIN ISSUES 36.37 | 30 August – 12 September 2010

Week 1 Week 2

HUMANITARIAN BULLETIN ISSUES 36.37 | 30 August – 12 September 2010 COLOMBIA

Highlights - Civilians at risk due to hostilities in Northern - Mass displacement risk in - FARC escalates attacks against military units - INDEPAZ report on the rearming of paramilitary groups

Civilians at risk due to hostilities in Northern Cauca Department

! Continued hostilities in the rural areas of Northern Cauca Department have forced indigenous communities to displace intermittently since May. Major damages have been caused to civilian goods and infrastructure during the period under review.

Since late August, the FARC conducted two attacks in the municipality of Caloto. On 30 August, an explosive artifact was activated in the village of Santa Rita affecting the water storage that supplies electricity to the municipalities of Caloto, Jambaló, Toribío and Miranda Municipalities. No civilians were injured during the attack but electricity and water supply went down for two days. On 6 September, the FARC threw 180 Improvised Explosive Artifacts (AEI) during an incursion in the indigenous reservation of Huellas, also in Caloto, where a religious celebration was taking place. While no casualties were registered, the AEI affected livestock and have to be destroyed by Police units. The Army and the Police reported that the FARC was planning to take the town.

Events per department and category | 30 August – 5 September

25 23 12% 21 20 Armed actions Attacks on civilians 47% 15 APM//UXO/IEA Vicitims 14 Attacks on illicit targets 15 13 35% 12 Displacement Other categories** 10 1% 10 3% 8 2% 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 0 0 Meta Sucre Cesar Huila Cauca Tolima Nariño Bolivar Arauca Vaupés Caquetá Quindío Córdoba Guaviare Atlántico Risaralda Antioquia Santander Putumayo LaGuajira Magdalena D.C. Bogotá Valle del CaucaValledel

Norte de Santander de Norte HUMANITARIAN BULLETIN ISSUES 36.37 | 30 August – 12 September 2010 COLOMBIA

Meanwhile, combats between the Army and the FARC continued in the rural area of Corinto Municipality. On 4 September, some 40 people displaced from the village of Los Alpes towards a “safe zone” fitted out by the community in a Christian Church. IDPs spend the night in the safe zone and leave during the day to do their labor. As a consequence of confrontations, the aqueduct was affected and school classes were suspended. The indigenous authorities, with the support of ICRC provided food and mattresses. The municipality visited the area. According to the Ombudsman’s Office, who conducted a verifying mission on 10 September, hostilities have been registered in the area during the last six months.

Follow-up: Mass displacement in Roberto Payán (Nariño)

On 23 August, 89 persons displaced in the rural area, following the violent incursion of an illegal armed group (see previous Humanitarian Bulletin). Illegal armed groups continue to commit killings and attacks against rural communities in Nariño Department. The local Ombudsman of Roberto Payán warned on the imminent risk of mass displacement for more than 1,500 persons in Bocas de Telembí, where one man was killed by alleged members of the FARC. On 9 September, two families (nearly 10 persons) displaced from Pasapi village towards the urban centre. Reportedly, two of the IDPs were transferred to the neighboring city of for medical care, where armed men tried to kill them.

FARC escalates attacks against military units

! In the last two weeks, the FARC guerrillas have escalated violence with several attacks on police and military units, leaving a death toll of more than 56 between militaries and members of the guerrillas. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for the full compliance with International Humanitarian Law.

Events per department and category | 5 - 12 September

35 34 11% Armed actions

30 Attacks on civilians

25 APM//UXO/IEA Vicitims 49% 20 Attacks on illicit targets 20 35% 16 15 Displacement 15 0% 2% Other categories** 9 10 8 8 8 7 3% 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 5 4 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Meta Sucre Cesar Huila Cauca Caldas Tolima Bolivar Nariño Boyacá Arauca Caquetá Quindío Norte de Norte Córdoba Valledel Atlántico Casanare Risaralda Antioquia Santander Putumayo LaGuajira Magdalena D.C. Bogotá

HUMANITARIAN BULLETIN ISSUES 36.37 | 30 August – 12 September 2010 COLOMBIA

On 1 September, on the road between El Doncello and Rionegro municipalities, in Caquetá Department, the FARC activated a landmine when a police patrol was passing by. Thirteen policemen were killed in the attack and seven more were injured. On 10 September, an incursion of the FARC in the rural area of the municipality of San Miguel (, border with ) left eight policemen dead, 10 injured and 2 more missing. Also, an undetermined number of civilians were injured during the confrontations between the Armed Forces and the FARC. The Ombudsman’s Office confirmed that the guerrilla installed land mines in one of the town’s main roads and confirmed damages in civilian houses and belongings in the area. On 13 September, FARC ambushed a police patrol in Tibú municipality, Norte de (north-eastern, border with Venezuela), killing three policemen and injuring one more. On 12 September, FARC activated an explosive device in front of the DAS facility (Colombia´s intelligence agency) in Pasto municipality, Nariño department (south-western). Twelve people were injured and some buildings and offices were affected. Since August, the Early Warning System of the Ombudsman´s Office has been alerting on the high risk for civilians in the border, due to the presence of illegal armed groups.

UNHCHR issued a public statement indicating that “these actions configure infractions of the principles of proportionality and protection of those who are not participating in hostilities. Also, they constitute violations of the prohibition to use of means and weapons that cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering. These infractions could constitute war crimes”.

INDEPAZ issues report on the rearming of paramilitary groups

! On 10 September, the Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz (INDEPAZ) released its “fourth report of narco-paramilitary groups “.

Through the processing of official and secondary sources, as well as field work, the report analyses the presence and actions of “narco-paramilitary groups” during the first semester of 2010. According to INDEPAZ, “(this special report) gives a view of violence that must warn on the recomposition, regrouping and on the growing impact of these groups in most of the Country.”It notes with concern a trending of expansion. INDEPAZ gives an estimate of nearly 6,000 armed members that operate in 29 out of the 32 departments of the Country, plus some 7,400 involved in their supporting networks. The Departments with the highest presence of rearmed groups are Córdoba, Bolívar, Cesar, Chocó, Caquetá, Meta, Putumayo, Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, Nariño (Pacific coast) and Norte de Santander (Catatumbo region). The report also notes that these groups continue to perpetrate grave acts of violence against civilians as well as infractions on IHL.

Follow-up: Natural Disasters

The rainy season that started in April has left a toll of 70 dead, 149 wounded, 14 missing, 699,584 people affected, 577 houses destroyed and 122.210 damaged. Heavy rains have caused emergencies in 386 municipalities (30% of the Country), 27 departments as well as the District of Bogotá. The GoC has delivered an estimate of $ 5 million in emergency aid. During the week in review, floods affected more than 2,000 families in Plato municipality, (1,470 families) and Rioacha municipality, (700 families) and Corozal municipality, (254 families). Local and Departmental Emergency Response committees are still activated to attend the situation. On 6 September, the UNETT met and decided to work on a National Contingency Plan to respond to the emergencies caused by the rainy season. HUMANITARIAN BULLETIN ISSUES 36.37 | 30 August – 12 September 2010 COLOMBIA

6 – 12 September

Destroyed Damaged Dead Injured Missing Affected Families houses houses Flood 0 0 0 16,760 3,412 12 2,400 Landslide 0 0 0 30 6 1 5 Strong winds 0 0 0 95 19 0 19 Electric Strom 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Atmospheric phenomenon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other emergencies 0 3 2 70 14 3 11 Total 1 3 2 16,955 3,451 16 2,435 Accumulated 6 April - 12 September * 173 373 17 753,444 163,429 865 134,237

Events – Weekly trend *

350 300 287 250 250 200 209 214 201 204 191 189 183 186 172 175 189 189 176 183 174 173 181176 150 147 159 151 158 156 143 160 157 165 120 126 127 141 134 100 97 107 50 0 Feb 7 1 - Jul 5 - 11 Jul - 5 Mar 1 - 7 1 - Mar Jan 4 - 10 - 4 Jan 11 - Ap 5 Aug 2 - 8 2 Aug- May 3 - 9 3 - May 13 - 7 Jun Feb 14 - 8 Jul 12 - 18Jul - 12 Mar 8 - 14 - 8 Mar Jan 11 - 17 - 11 Jan 24 - 18 Jan 31 - 25 Jan 18 - 12 Ap Aug 9 - 15 Aug- 9 Jun 14 - 20 - 14 Jun 27 - 21 Jun Feb 21 - 15 Feb 28 - 22 Apr 19 - 25 - 19 Apr Mar 14 - 21 - 14 Mar 28 - 22 Mar Aug 16 - 22 - 16 Aug 29 - 23 Aug May 10 - 16 - 10 May 23 - 17 May 30 - 24 May Jun 28 - Jul - 28 4 Jun Dec 28 - Jan 3 Jan 28 - Dec Mar 29 - Ap 4 Ap - 29 Mar AugJul 1 19 - May 31 - Jun 6 Jun - 31 May Aug 30 - Sep30 5 Aug - Apr 26 - May 2 May 26- Apr Sep Sep 12 - 06

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* All data herewith presented was processed by OCHA from official and secondary sources. ** Other categories refer to events that are not directly linked with HR violations or IHL infractions.

Contact: Carrera 10 # 97A - 13 Oficina 401 OCHA Colombia Pbx. 57 + 1 6221100 www. colombiassh.org Fax. 57 + 1 622 1232