Colombia’s Victims Day: Alarming Figures Underscore Ongoing Conflict

Human Wrongs Watch By the Norwegian Refugee Council*

Civilians in Colombia are in grave danger and must be protected without delay. By April 2026, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) forecasts that the number of civilians affected by the ongoing armed conflict in the country will exceed ten million people.

Forced to flee violence, this Indigenous man and his community are victims of the armed conflict in western Colombia. Non-state armed actors maintain their presence in their region. Photo: NRC

This includes people killed, disappeared, dispossessed of their land, tortured, forcibly recruited, threatened, kidnapped, confined, displaced, as well as victims of sexual violence and explosive ordnance.

This 9 April, as Colombia commemorates Victims Day, official records show 9.8 millionlives are severely affected by ongoing violence.

“To stop the historical course of this protracted conflict, all parties must immediately uphold the rules of war. If no differentiation is made between civilians and combatants, the country will be condemned to endless war,” said Giovanni Rizzo, NRC country director for Colombia.

Today the most meaningful acknowledgement for the victims of the armed conflict is to safeguard the civilian population.

The rising numbers of children forcibly recruited, displaced persons, those confined, and explosive ordnance  are irrefutable proof of the urgent need to protect civilians.

“All parties of the conflict must move beyond rhetoric and make distinction of civilians a reality. It is absurd and unfair that civilians who don’t want to be part of the conflict are the ones paying the highest price of it,” said Rizzo.

With 9.3 million people living under the influence of non-state armed actors in the country, safeguarding civilian lives is the responsibility of all parties to the conflict.

“We had to flee the fighting in our community to save our lives. The armed groups showed no respect for us. Returning home, we found it damaged, all the food was stolen, and the blood of the war was still on the floor,” a father of two children told NRC.

Millions of people in Colombia continue to need urgent humanitarian aid. For those who have endured the conflict’s harsh realities, access to assistance is essential.

The unwavering commitment of state institutions and the international community to support people in need remains vital in order to save lives.

It is an urgent obligation for all national and local authorities to guarantee adequate funding to address the needs of the victims.

The international community can, and must, do more. Only $12 US dollars of every $100 needed to address humanitarian needs has been funded in 2025.

Recent United States (US) decisions regarding humanitarian funding are significantly exacerbating this underfunding situation. The protection of civilians in Colombia has been made possible by donor solidarity, and their continued support is urgently needed.

“The victims demand immediate action: respect the rules of war, end the violence, and secure humanitarian aid. Let this Victims’ Day serve as a call for change,” said Rizzo.

Notes:

• Over the last four decades, 9,888,182 million victims of the conflict have been registered in Colombia’s official victims’ registry.
• The projection of victim numbers in Colombia for April 2026 by NRC is based on trend analysis: the annual victim registration has exceeded 230,000 on average according to the Victims Unit register. Adding 230,000 to the existing 9.8 million would then surpass 10 million. The increase in victim numbers in early 2025confirms this prediction is unfolding as anticipated (OCHA).
• OCHA reports over 135,000 people displaced in the first two months of 2025.
• The Ombudsman’s Office documented 409 cases of forced recruitment of children and adolescents by non-state armed groups in 2024, representing an increase from the 342 cases recorded in 2023.
• OCHA reports approximately 32,000 people were confined in the first quarter of 2025.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) documented 719 casualties, comprising both injuries and fatalities, attributable to explosive devices in Colombia during 2024. This represents an 89% increase relative to the figures recorded in 2023.
• 9.3 million Colombians live in areas where non-state armed actors are present (OCHA).
• 9.1 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the country (OCHA).
• In 2025, the international community requested US $342 million to address the humanitarian needs caused by the armed conflict and disasters in the country (OCHA). As of April 2025, only 41 million USD have been reported as funded meaning 12% of the plan has been funded to date.
• The United States contributed nearly 70% of the financial resources dedicated to humanitarian assistance for conflict and disaster-affected populations in Colombia during 2024 (OCHA).

*SOURCE: Norwegian Refugee Council. Go to ORIGINAL: https://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/colombias-victims-day-alarming-figures-underscore-ongoing-conflict 2025 Human Wrongs Watch

Source: https://human-wrongs-watch.net/2025/04/13/colombias-victims-day-alarming-figures-underscore-ongoing-conflict/