06/12/2006

The conflict in Colombia is ongoing and still directly affects many communities. In several areas of the country, the battle for the control of the land and its resources continues between the guerrillas and the paramilitaries. Innocent civilians are caught in the middle of the fighting, forced under heavy duress to pledge allegiance to a group and incur retaliation from the other, or to flee their homes and seek safety in urban centers. Despite a sophisticated institutional and legal system, the government of Colombia is failing in practice to address the protection and humanitarian needs of the displaced. With both national and international law clear as to the status and the rights of the internally displaced, the Colombian government needs to live up to its obligations and ensure that it does not politicize the provision of protection and aid for displaced people.