The European Commission has agreed a Global Plan to grant €12 million of humanitarian aid to support people who are displaced from their homes, blocked in their area or who have fled to neighbouring countries as a result of the longstanding internal conflict in Colombia. The assistance will help a total of 169,000 people by meeting the essential needs of 63,700 newly displaced people and providing assistance specifically designed to protect 3,000 vulnerable children. 35,000 affected people will also see their living conditions improved, and 68,000 refugees in Ecuador, Venezuela and Panama will receive emergency assistance and legal advice.

The Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, said, “14,000 Columbian children are estimated to be involved with illegal armed groups. The Commission’s funding protects children and gives them the chance to catch up on the schooling they have lost. When children earn educational or vocational qualifications they are much less vulnerable to recruitment by the armed groups.”

The armed conflict in Columbia has been going on for 40 years, and in the past year has forced an estimated 250,000 Colombians out of their homes. Most of these people are now living in precarious circumstances; many are from rural areas and when displaced into urban settings find it difficult to survive, even at a very basic level.

The aid will be targeted at the most urgent needs of displaced people, principally in the areas of water and sanitation, shelter, health care, food and livelihood support, psychosocial support and protection.

The €12 million will include:

Provide food and essential non-food items to support 50,000 newly displaced people in their first 3 months, and help them begin to earn their own living. Much of this will be provided through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Support some 35,000 displaced people for up to a year, (for example by providing clean water, good sanitation and adequate shelter) to help them get back on their feet and prevent them from being displaced once again.

Protect the fundamental rights of displaced or trapped families and address the root causes of these families’ vulnerability. This will involve supporting detainees, hostages, their families and the families of missing persons.

Children are a priority of this Global Plan, and the funding will provide them with informal education, psychosocial and nutritional support. For example, the Commission funds a project in the suburbs of Bogota which protects up to 2,000 nine to eighteen year olds and helps them get back into the state education system. The project, run by the NGO Diakonie, enables young people to avoid being forced into joining the armed groups (e.g. accompanying them to school so they don’t have to walk alone).

The Commission’s humanitarian aid department has been actively involved in bringing relief to victims of the conflict in Colombia since 1997 and over that period of time has given humanitarian assistance worth over € 84 million.

The Commission will offer funding through the UN system to enable better coordination of humanitarian aid in Colombia. The aid will be channelled through the Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel and will be distributed by humanitarian NGOs and international agencies operating in the region.