Colombia 2025: A humanitarian crisis beyond numbers
Bogotá (ICRC) – In 2025, Colombia experienced the worst humanitarian consequences of armed conflict over the past decade. This deterioration is not solely explained by the intensification of hostilities, but also by how hostilities were conducted and civilians were treated, in a context marked by a failure to uphold international humanitarian law (IHL). This is evidenced by the annual report of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the humanitarian situation in Colombia, published today.
The humanitarian consequences present alarming indicators. The ICRC recorded 965 people injured or killed by explosive hazards, most of whom were civilians, and documented 308 new disappearances. Moreover, according to the Comprehensive Victim Support and Reparation Unit (UARIV), at least 235,619 people were displaced individually, 87,069 were displaced in mass displacement events and 176,730 remained confined. In addition, the National Medical Mission Board reported 282 attacks on health workers in events related to armed conflicts.
Compared to 2024, all these indicators increased significantly and in several cases doubled, with individual displacement rising by 100 per cent, mass displacement by 111 per cent, and confinement by 99 per cent.
“The humanitarian situation in 2025 is the result of a gradual deterioration that the ICRC has been warning about since 2018 and that is now reflected in increasingly severe and profound consequences for civilians,” said Olivier Dubois, Head of the ICRCʼs Regional Delegation in Bogotá.
Colombia 2025: Colombia: Non-compliance with international humanitarian law deteriorated the humanitarian situation in Colombia in 2025
Olivier Dubois
When I learnt that I would begin my mission in Colombia, it was impossible not to think about everything I had to do. The challenge is great for those arriving in a country of remarkable human richness yet marked by decades of armed conflict. Therefore, my first objective was to understand that reality respectfully and without simplifying it.
The humanitarian cost of non-compliance with IHL in Colombia
In 2025, the humanitarian impact of armed conflict in Colombia remained critical and manifested itself differently across regions. This situation was shaped by the intensification of hostilities, the way in which the confrontations unfolded, and how civilians were treated in areas where state and non-state armed actors were present and exercised control.
Conduct of hostilities and use of explosive hazards
Across various parts of the country, armed clashes intensified and, in many cases, took place in populated areas or near homes and other civilian property, exposing communities to greater risks.
Treatment of civilians in Colombia during 2025
Beyond the conduct of hostilities, civilians faced different forms of violence and abuse in areas where state and non-state armed actors were present and exercised control, such as homicides, disappearances, threats, recruitment, use and participation of minors in hostilities, sexual violence and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, including in situations of deprivation of liberty.
Upholding international humanitarian law in Colombia
En 2025, el CICR documentó 845 presuntas violaciones del DIH. Aunque esta cifra no alcanza a dimensionar lo que ocurre en todo el país, sí es el reflejo de una necesidad urgente: que las partes en conflicto cumplan estrictamente con las normas que imponen límites a la guerra y así ofrecer un camino de protección real para la población civill.
Children and adolescents in armed conflicts in Colombia
The involvement of children and adolescents in armed conflicts continued, one of the most serious manifestations of which is their recruitment, use and participation in hostilities. This not only has immediate consequences on their lives, integrity and development, but also profoundly weakens the social fabric and compromises the future of entire communities.
Calls to action for parties to a conflict in Colombia
We close this report with an urgent message: it is imperative to ensure the protection of the civilian population, to put an end to the recruitment, use and participation of children and adolescents, and to advance the search for missing persons. Human dignity must always prevail, even in situations of armed conflict.
Media Contact
Lorena Hoyos, CICR, Bogotá
Public Relations Officer
Phone: +57 310 221 81 33
Email: bhoyosgomez@icrc.org
