Mass displacement of Afro-Colombians in southwest Colombia

(Photo: Colombia Sin Minas.org)

Rebel related military violence has caused the displacement of least 284 Afro-Colombians in the southwestern state of Nariño.

At least 284 Afro-Colombian citizens were displaced on Monday in the rural area of San Pedro del Vino, Rio Patia as a result of military operations against Colombia’s largest rebel group the FARC, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Wednesday.

FACT SHEET: Colombia displacement statistics

Numbers are still likely to rise according to the OCHA’s press release.

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The Afro-Colombian population that fled the area in the municipality of Francisco Pizarro are currently being sheltered in four locations: the Office for Culture, the parish house, an educational institution and a family home.

The municipality’s limited capacity to deal with the mass displacement has triggered a call for help to state institutions. Local authorities have stressed the need to provide supplies and evaluate the humanitarian requirements of the community.

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Sources

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