Colombia: Forced internal displacement overwhelming capacity to respond

romy says on Aug 2, 2008, 10:06:

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/STRI-7H2QYV?OpenDocument

Colombia: Key facts on recent displacement in Arauca

Located on Colombia’s border with Venezuela, the Arauca department has recently experienced a significant increase in the number of internally displaced communities. Since the beginning of 2008, more than 4,000 people have been displaced, taking the total number to 28,000, ten percent of the overall population of the department. An additional 80,000 is at high risk of displacement. Arauca is a region rich in natural resources, particularly oil, and illegal armed groups have been escalating conflict in order to control areas of future exploration. While the government of Colombia, with military support and training from the United States, has made concerted efforts to protect oil companies and exploration sites, the same security guarantees have not been extended to the communities affected by the increase in violence. The response of the local government is very limited, while international support for the IDP communities is just beginning.

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romy says on Aug 2, 2008, 10:07:

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/STRI-7H2R26?OpenDocument

Colombia: Key facts on recent displacement in Nariño

Aggressive Colombian army offensives in the department of Nariño against both guerrilla forces and reorganized narco-paramilitary groups have led to increased displacement in rural areas between villages and along the River Patía. The river, a major artery linking the Andes with the Pacific, has been the site of much recent fighting as new illegal armed groups struggle to control transit and communication routes for coca production. Furthermore, the FARC and ELN have escalated their violence, involving the extensive use of improvised landmines to control terrain and terrorize communities. There were 27 massive displacements in 2007 and almost 95,000 displaced registered in the department as of April 30, 2008. The under-registration and rejection rates for the internally displaced in Nariño remain very high.

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harvardexec says on Aug 2, 2008, 10:09:

I believe this is the most underestimated "problem" in Colombia.

"I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."-John McCain

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Sam Salmon says on Aug 2, 2008, 11:43:

This is what was always predicted.

As FARC loses it's grip-and Paras are dealt with-the overall situation will become worse because the Govt still doesn't have the resources/organisation to provide security for everyone.

Sad to say it won't have that capability for years to come and many will suffer.

' a la orden!'

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Lcacique says on Aug 2, 2008, 11:51:

Another unfortunate factor is that the government only includes those who have been displaced by the conflict in its figures and these people are supposedly allowed access to assistance of one form or another [of which there is not enough of course]; however, those who are displaced as a result of aerial fumigation are not accounted for in official reports nor are they allowed access to assistance. Some non-profits have tried to estimate how many people have been displaced as a result of this ineffective and cruel counternarcotics method, but it is difficult to measure. There is no doubt that it has worsened the problem and it is a grave problem that is almost completely ignored.

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

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dwmte7 says on Aug 3, 2008, 07:33:

the central and root cause of all this and so many more of colombia's problems, is that there does not exist a united front to confront all the maladies. the corruption and collussion from all quarters undermines every effort to deal with the causes of social turmoil, displacement, violence, etc. the govt, military, police, paras, armed insurgents are, to a man, fighting to have as much of the narco pie as is possible. until these govt's--nay, all govt's--wake up and follow a 'tax' based solution to these substances, like they did in the u.s. with aclohol, after prohibition, the chaos, crime and meyhem continues because of the huge profits available.

example....a kilo of paste in the most remote places, sells for about $20.00 to $30.00. taken to it's end product, it lands in europe or the u.s. for from $20,000, to $40.000. do the math.

the money involved is so incredible, poor mankind cannot confront, successfully, the temptation. like a capo stated, in the 80's, referencing nancy reagan, ".....how do you 'just say no' to billions of dollars?"

dwmte

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