OVERVIEW
According to Colombia’s Victims Unit, between 1985 and 2021, armed conflict in the country affected more than two million children and youth, including through displacement, confinement, recruitment, abuse, and sexual violence (COALICO 2021; UN SC 08/12/2021). Although violence decreased after the 2016 demobilisation of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARCEP), attempts by other armed groups to take over the power vacuum in areas previously dominated by the FARC-EP has increased conflict levels. Between 2020 and 2021, there was an astounding 88% increase (from 12,481 to 23,465) in the number of conflict-affected children and youth (COALICO 2020 and 2021). Displacement impacted around 13,000 children among those affected by conflict in 2021 (OCHA 08/02/2022; COALICO 2021). The number of children and adolescents recruited into armed groups to bolster their ranks has also increased (InSight Crime 15/04/2021).
The clear increase in conflict in departments near the Pacific coast (Cauca, Chocó, Nariño, Valle del Cauca) and the border with Venezuela (Arauca, Norte de Santander, Vichada) has, in turn, increased cases of displacement and confinement. Between 1 January and 17 March 2022, the number of people affected by confinement and displacement doubled compared to the same period in 2021. The first two-and-a-half months of 2022 has seen 44% as many people affected as were in all of 2021 (OCHA accessed 17/03/2021. The number of children affected by conflict is highly likely to increase in 2022.
Key messages
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Armed conflict affects every aspect of the lives of children and youth, making it difficult for them to access education, health services, and livelihoods.
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Conflict exposes children and youth to possibly long-term or life-long physical and mental health impacts.
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Available figures on children and youth affected by armed conflict are likely underreported because of threats, fear of reprisals by armed groups, a lack of awareness of protection services, and long distances to urban centres to report cases.
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The recent increase of violence in Colombia will likely increase the number of children and youth affected.
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March 31, 2022 at 02:00PM
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Colombia: Impact of the armed conflict on children and youth (31 March 2022) - Colombia - ReliefWeb
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