Bogotá (ICRC) – Armed clashes between security forces and armed groups have forced 203 indigenous people to flee their homes in La Divisa, a village in Alto Baudó municipality (Chocó).

They have now reached Miácora (also in Alto Baudó), which lies two and a half days’ journey by river from the departmental capital of Quibdó.

The displaced families consist of 43 women, 60 men and 100 children.

They are currently staying in the school, the health centre and the village hall.

Food is scarce in Miácora, and the arrival of this group has had serious consequences for the subsistence economy of the resident population.

On 8 and 9 August, after assessing the needs of displaced and resident families, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) distributed some 11 tonnes of emergency aid to 650 persons (150 families).

This consisted of food, together with such essential items as hygiene materials, cooking equipment, mosquito nets, sleeping mats, sheets and hammocks.

The operation involved 15 staff and was conducted in conjunction with the Programa Aéreo de Salud de Antioquia (a Colombian airborne health service), and the Chocó and Antioquia branches of the Colombian Red Cross.

Convoys of lorries brought aid from Medellín and Quibdó, but access to the area is difficult, making it necessary to complete the journey by helicopter.

ICRC relief and economic security delegate Thierry Baudin said: “Despite the uncertain future facing the families, this food will alleviate the effects of displacement and the resulting vulnerability.

It will also give these people time to overcome their difficulties.” The ICRC will remain in the area in order to monitor the situation closely, and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced families in accordance with its mandate.

For further information, please contact:
Christophe Beney, ICRC Bogotá, tel: +57 1 313 86 30
Marçal Izard, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 2458 or +41 79 217 32 24

See also ICRC media contacts

This article on www.icrc.org