Red Cross says people displaced by conflict in Colombia doubled last year

Annual study by ICRC finds worsening conditions for Colombian civilians amid continued warring betwixt equipped groups.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has documented an uptick successful displacement, disappearances and explosive injuries arsenic a effect of Colombia’s six-decade-long interior conflict.

In an yearly study released connected Tuesday, the ICRC recovered that 2025 saw the “worst humanitarian consequences” successful the past decennary of the conflict.

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Since 1964, Colombia has been enmeshed successful a multilateral struggle that has pitted transgression groups, left-wing rebels, right-wing and authorities forces against each other.

A turning constituent came successful 2016, erstwhile the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country’s largest left-wing rebel group, agreed to a ceasefire statement and disarmed.

But the ICRC indicated that the struggle has go much fragmented since that time, with terrible repercussions for civilians.

“The humanitarian concern successful 2025 is the effect of a progressive deterioration that the ICRC has warned astir since 2018,” said Olivier Dubois, the ICRC’s main of ngo successful Colombia. “Civilians are experiencing progressively superior consequences arsenic a result.”

The fig of radical displaced by conflict, for instance, has doubled successful the past year. The ICRC recovered that 235,619 radical were individually displaced by warring successful 2025, with 42 percent unsocial successful the section of Norte de Santander.

The fig of civilians affected by wide displacement events besides doubled to much than 87,000.

Tuesday’s study besides pointed to an expanding usage of explosives and drones successful Colombia’s conflict. The fig of radical killed by explosive devices accrued by much than a 3rd successful 2025, compared with the erstwhile year.

Approximately 965 radical were killed oregon injured by explosive devices implicit the past year.

The ICRC explained that the fearfulness of wounded oregon decease has led galore families to stay indoors, restricting entree to education, crops and captious services.

The fig of radical successful tiny communities who underwent lockdowns amid warring by equipped groups roseate by astir 100 percent successful 2025.

“This deterioration was reflected some successful disposable and contiguous events and successful deeper, much long-lasting effects that altered civilians’ surviving conditions,” the ICRC said.

“The weakening of the societal fabric, prolonged restrictions connected entree to indispensable goods and services, and changes successful livelihoods person had lasting effects connected communities.”

Colombia has seen the dynamics of its struggle germinate dramatically implicit the past decade. Following the ceasefire successful 2016, respective dissident groups splintered distant from the FARC, refusing to judge the woody with the government.

Those dissident groups, arsenic good arsenic rival transgression and armed groups, person continued to jostle for power implicit territory and lucrative illicit industries abandoned by the FARC.

Left-wing person Gustavo Petro, a erstwhile rebel fighter, won the presidency successful 2022 with a committedness to interruption from Colombia’s militarised attack to the conflict.

Those tactics had been blamed for worsening the struggle and perpetuating rights abuses, and Colombia’s Truth Commission had called for the tactics to beryllium reformed.

Upon taking office, Petro said helium would prosecute negotiated settlements with equipped groups, a strategy helium dubbed the “Total Peace” plan.

But right-wing critics person denounced the strategy arsenic excessively lax, and the negotiations person faced galore setbacks amid convulsive attacks crossed the country.

Security is expected to play an important relation successful the upcoming May 31 elections.

While the left-wing frontrunner Ivan Cepeda has embraced “Total Peace”, his right-wing rivals, including Abelardo de la Espriella, person promised to extremity the programme and prosecute much hardline tactics.

“Anyone who goes retired to origin disturbances and onslaught me, the people, oregon the information forces volition look an robust fist,” de la Espriella said.