WEEKLY HUMANITARIAN REPORT ISSUES 21| May 24 - 31, 2009

COLOMBIA

Santa Rosa (Bolívar): Forced recruitment

Segovia, Caucasia, Dabeiba, San Rafael (Antioquia): 3 community leaders killed and 100 people displaced

Riosucio (Chocó): Attack on medical mission

Chiriguaná (Cesar): Displacement event

Tumaco (Nariño): 1 Awá indigenous leader killed

Legend1 Dot = 1 Event

Armed Action

Roadblock

Homicides

Attacks against civilians

APM/UXO/IEA Victims

Displacements events

Kidnnaping

Homicide on protected person

Massacre

Attack on medical mission

Forced recruitment

WEEKLY HUMANITARIAN REPORT ISSUES 21| May 24 - 31, 2009

COLOMBIA

Displacements in Antioquia department Three events of forced displacement were reported in Segovia, Caucasia and Dabeiba municipalities. There is an imminent risk of displacement in the municipalities of Caucasia and San Rafael. The Departmental Committee for IDPs of Antioquia reported that the murder of three community leaders triggered the displacement of rural communities in the municipalities of Segovia, Dabeiba and Caucasia, since 21 May. In Segovia, 35 persons from the village of Machuca arrived in the urban area of the municipality from 21 to 27 May, fearing threats by illegal armed actors after the killing of one of their leaders. The assassinated leader was involved in lad protection issues for IDPs communities. Currently, the displaced families are receiving shelter in two houses in a nearby community. It is important to note that in 1998, 100 persons were massacred and 30 more were injured in an attack of the ELN guerrilla to a pipeline in this same village.

Events per department

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

3

3

3

3

4

4

5

5

5

6

7

7

7

8

9

10

0 5 10 15

Atlántico

Boyacá

La Guajira

Tolima

Chocó

Magdalena

Vaupés

Nariño

Norte deSantander

Putumayo

Sucre

Quindío

Valle delCauca

Bolivar

Cauca

Meta

Cesar

Caquetá

Córdoba

Huila

Caldas

Antioquia

Risaralda

Antioquia

Caucasia

Segovia

San Rafael

Dabeiba

Caucasia

Segovia

San Rafael

Dabeiba

Caucasia

Segovia

San Rafael

Dabeiba

Caucasia

Segovia

San Rafael

Dabeiba

WEEKLY HUMANITARIAN REPORT ISSUES 21| May 24 - 31, 2009

COLOMBIA

In Dabeiba, alleged members of an illegal armed group killed a member of the village of Cuchillón and afterwards forced his family to leave the village. Four families (20 people) were displaced towards the urban area on 27 May and are currently staying in a public facility. The Displacement Observatory of Antioquia reported that on 13 May, an indigenous Governor Senú was killed in the village of El Tigre in the municipality of Caucasia by alleged members of illegal armed actors. After the murder, 11 families from the community were displaced to a nearby village. On 29 May, the Local Commitee for IDPs reported that the remaining 28 families are at-risk of mass displacement. ON 16 may, UNHCR visited the area and assessed the situation. According to the CDAIPD of Antioquia, 9 families from the village of La Rapida in the municipality of San Rafael have displaced during 2009 due to subsistence problems and the presence of Antipersonnel mines (APM) in their territory. The APM have caused a series of incidents, the last of which occurred near the school. Furthermore, on 29 May a member of the community was killed by alleged members o an illegal armed group. As a consequence, the remaining 35 families issued a letter to the municipality requesting prevention and protection measures. The local authorities are deeply concerned by the increase of individual displacements (or “drop to drop”) in the Department during 2009 due to the action of illegal armed groups in rural areas. For more information on these events, visit www.colombiassh.org New illegal armed strike in Arauca and Meta departments Access restrictions imposed by the FARC were reported in the seven municipalities of Arauca department and in the south of Meta department. On 24 May, for the second time in this year, the FARC declared an illegal armed strike in Arauca and Meta departments to commemorate its 45th anniversary. As a consequence, transport

Events per type

1

1

1

1

2

2

3

3

3

4

6

6

10

23

35

0 10 20 30 40

Attacks onmilitary

Attacks onmedical mission

Forcedrecruitment

Kidnnaping

Common graves

Massacre

APM/UXO/IEAVictims

Road block

Displacementevents

Threats oncivilians

Attacks oncivilians

Homicides onprotected

Attacks oncivilians

Armed actions

Homicides

WEEKLY HUMANITARIAN REPORT ISSUES 21| May 24 - 31, 2009

COLOMBIA

enterprises suspended their normal operations until 1 June. UNDSS reported roadblocks and mobility restrictions in Fortul (Arauca), La Julia, La Uribe and Vistahermosa (Meta). On 31 May, a new Governor for the department was elected on an extraordinary ballot to replace the previous Governor who has been dismissed and is facing charges of alleged links with former paramilitary groups. In spite of the armed strike, the elections took place with normalcy. However, as a prevention measure, the Government closed the border with Venezuela and relocated 30 polling stations to safer municipalities. Although mobility seems to be normal, transport enterprises are yet to resume activities once the FARC declares the end of the armed strike. UNDSS continues to monitor the situation. It should be noted that the first armed strike imposed by the FARC in 2009 in Arauca took place from 15 to 30 March. Follow-up: Threats against humanitarian actors UNHCR condemned the threats against members of its staff and other human right workers and social activists in Colombia During a press briefing on 22 May, UNHCR spokesperson in Geneva expressed its concern by “recent wave of death threats against human right workers and social activists, including displaced leaders working to defend their communities’ rights” and by the worsening of the already critical situation of forced displacement due to the action of new illegal groups. The UN agency states that indigenous communities, social leaders and representatives of displaced people have all been targeted and reiterates its support to the affected organizations, particularly the Ombudsman Office, one of the closest partners of humanitarian actors in Colombia.

____________________________ * All data herein reflected was processed by OCHA from official and secondary sources

CONTACTS FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS María José Torres

Head of Office torres8@un.org

Juan Chaves

chavesj@un.org

María de la Luz Vásquez vasquezm@un.org

Telephone: +57.1.6221100, ext. 107

www.colombiassh.org