The ICRC in Colombia

An ICRC team travels by canoe up the river Ispí to visit the municipality of Roberto Payan (Nariño). The ICRC helps the resident population affected by the conflict through agricultural and basic sanitation projects.

Colombia is the largest ICRC operation in the Americas. The ICRC's work in Colombia involves protecting civilians, helping displaced persons and conflict-affected communities, visiting detainees, promoting international humanitarian law, helping people affected by weapons contamination and cooperating with the Colombian Red Cross and other Movement components active in Colombia. Read full overview.

Highlights

Colombia report 2011

Reference documents

Facts and Figures

In 2011, the ICRC:

provided assistance to some 36,000 displaced persons;
supported 10 farming projects in five remote areas of the country, benefiting 4,340 people;
helped to build or renovate dormitories, classrooms, canteens and sanitation blocks in boarding schools, benefiting more than 1,980 pupils;
leant its support to 10 state-run mobile health-care units which treated more than 32,800 people;
recorded 50 cases in which medical care was impeded as a result of violations of international humanitarian law;
visited more than 4,700 individuals detained in connection with the conflict in 71 detention facilities.

The ICRC has 354 staff members in Colombia, including 65 expatriate staff.

In images More images

Publications More publications

Colombia 2009 report

This report presents the ICRC's work in Colombia in 2009, illustrating the benefit that the ICRC's activities bring to the victims of armed conflict in the country
A review of the displaced population in eight cities of Colombia

In 2006-2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Food Programme studied displaced populations in eight Colombian cities. This publication summarizes the study's results and recommendations.

Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine

Flight of the Colombians
Colombia’s conflict is the longest of modern times, still continuing after more than 45 years. Hardly anyone is spared by the violence. Some have no choice but to leave their homes to escape threats, harassment or worse. Article published in the Red Cross Red Crescent Magazine, No 2, 2007