 We urge you to take immediate action to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian crisis affecting Afro-Colombian communities in the upper Condoto River in the Chocó Department of Colombia. Fear of violence between guerrilla groups, paramilitaries and Colombian public forces has resulted in the mass internal displacement of more than 500 civilians in this region since the evening of Monday, Aug. 13, 2007, violating the human rights and collective territorial rights of Afro-Colombians in the area.
The presence of and threats by blocs of the FARC who were camped out in the proximity of the communities of El Paso and Charco Largo provoked the mass displacement of the entire populations of these communities on Aug. 13. The gradual displacement of the neighboring Santa Ana community has since ensued. This situation has forced an estimated 150 families settled in the upper part of the Condoto River from their homes, affecting at least 513 people; 208 children and 305 adults, including the elderly, are among the displaced.
Statistics and testimonies of members of the Las Mojarras Foundation and the Community Council of Condoto report that at least 90 families, or 337 people, were displaced from El Paso, of whom 145 are children and 192 are adults and seniors. From the community of Charco Largo, 24 families, or 136 people, were displaced, of whom 72 are children and 64 are adults. Community leaders believe that displacement from Santa Ana and other nearby communities will continue over the next several days.
The internally displaced have sought refuge and shelter on the grounds of the Maria Montessori School of Condoto, where they are currently in inhumane conditions due to inadequate sanitation, water and other basic services. The location of the school is also subject to frequent floods at this time of year due to the rising water level of the Condoto River, which could exacerbate the already precarious situation of the internally displaced population. Immediate assistance is needed to provide adequate sanitation, water, food and protection to those currently seeking shelter there.
We have received notice that officials from the Colombian Defensoría del Pueblo and the secretary of the interior are planning to make a visit to the school to assess the situation, and we encourage them to do so. Yet while this type of attention is necessary, these institutions alone lack the necessary resources and capacity to respond to the humanitarian and security needs of this population.
The current situation calls for an immediate humanitarian response coordinated with the national and international humanitarian agencies present, in order to address the critical protection and assistance needs of the more than 500 internally displaced persons and those who have as of yet remained in their territories to “resist” internal displacement. Given that this displacement is ongoing, and that a great deal of those displaced are children and seniors, immediate action and assistance is required.
We urge you to continue to monitor this situation and contact the Colombian government to recommend the following:
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Immediately intervene in this matter to ensure that civilians and internally displaced persons have access to food, medicine and humanitarian assistance. Colombian civilian institutions should go to the areas affected and establish a presence so as to ensure that civilians and IDPs are protected and assisted.
Work with the United Nations and international organizations to implement a humanitarian and human rights plan in this area of the country that addresses the needs of Afro-Colombian rural and urban communities.
For more information, contact Charo Mina Rojas of AFRODES at (434) 760-0663 or
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Marino Cordova is with the Network for Advocacy in Solidarity with Grassroots Afro-Colombian Communities (NASGACC). U.S. members of the NASGACC coalition include the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the Association for Internally Displaced Afro-Colombians USA (AFRODES USA ), TransAfrica Forum, Organización Un Día de Esperanza, Manuel Zapata Olivella Center for Human Development and Education, Afro-Colombian Folkloric Group Tangaré and activists Rev. Dr. Whit Hutchinson and Dr. Joseph Jordan. For the purposes of this alert, Afro-Colombian organizations include the Las Mojarras Foundation (Condoto-Chocó), the Federation of Organizations of Community Councils of San Juan (FOSAN) and the Alliance of Organizations and Community Councils of Chocó.
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