Upholding international humanitarian law in Colombia
Taken together, the facts described throughout the present report show how the failure to uphold IHL has a direct impact on the way in which armed conflicts affect civilians.
In 2025, the ICRC documented 845 alleged violations of IHL. This figure corresponds only to the cases known to the organization and does not necessarily reflect all situations that occurred in Colombia.
Most of the recorded cases occurred outside of hostilities. Within this group, in 45 per cent of cases the life or physical or mental integrity of persons protected by IHL were violated, including civilians and those who were hors de combat, such as the wounded, sick or those deprived of their liberty. In 12 per cent of cases, the living conditions of communities were affected through restrictions on mobility, obstacles to accessing humanitarian assistance or basic services, as well as situations that compromised the provision of health care services or the work of health personnel.
The remaining 43 per cent of cases were recorded during the conduct of hostilities, mainly owing to the failure to take precautionary measures to protect civilians and civilian property from the effects of attacks.
Upholding IHL is fundamental to limit suffering in armed conflicts. When these rules are not respected, suffering is exacerbated.
