390,000 Colombian refugees living abroad: NGO

Almost 390,000 Colombian citizens are refugees living outside of the country’s borders due to the armed conflict, reports NGO CODHES.

Colombia ranks number one in the world for the number of people displaced by violence, with a total of 5.28 million internally and externally displaced people. They rank above Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq according to statistics from the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The neighboring country of Ecuador is said to be where most of the 389,753 Colombians fleeing armed conflicts have ended up, although many are not documented

Ecuador has granted refugee status to 53,342 Colombians, and there are large numbers of Colombian refugees in the United States, Canada, Venezuela, Brazil, Costa Rica and Panama.

The armed conflict that has driven so many Colombians from their homes has persisted since 1964.

Related posts

Colombia’s prosecution confirms plea deal with jailed former UNGRD chiefs

Arsonists set home of Colombia’s land restitution chief on fire

Colombia and Russia “reactivate” bilateral ties