Colombia continues to host one of the world's largest populations of forcibly uprooted people. There are over 7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), in addition to 3 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees.
The crisis in Colombia is intensifying, worsening the humanitarian situation. The territorial expansion and fragmentation of armed non-state actors (NSAGs) is increasing the number of victims affected by mass displacement. In 2025, it reached 70 284 people, twice as many as the year before.
In early 2025, a single mass displacement in the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander was unprecedented in its magnitude. Confrontations between armed groups pushed approximately 80 000 people to flee their homes and seek refuge in nearby cities.
‘The targeting of leaders, forced disappearances and murders are some of the worse violations - together with child recruitment by armed groups - are unfortunately increasing,’ Cedric Perus adds.
Forced confinement
But Colombia has also witnessed an increase in forced confinement, which has reached the highest levels recorded in recent years. In 2024 alone, it affected at least 115,000 people.
Forced confinement in Colombia is a tactic used by armed groups to exert territorial control. Communities, particularly indigenous and Afro-Colombian populations, are prevented from moving freely due to threats, armed clashes, and anti-personnel mines.
The department of Chocó, one of the hardest-hit by confinement events, is a priority area for EU-funded protection interventions. There, UNHCR and other EU partners deliver first aid and mental health care, as well as providing support to victims of violence.
Trapped and vulnerable
Forced confinement restricts the movement of communities, especially indigenous and Afro-Colombian populations, blocking their access to essential needs like food, medicine, and livelihoods due to threats and armed confrontation.
The confinement epicentre
The department of Chocó accounted for 60% of all confinement events recorded in Colombia in 2024, trapping over 100,000 people and risking their physical and cultural survival.
Territorial disputes
Escalating conflicts between armed groups for territorial control are the main drivers of displacement, causing 69% of large group displacement events monitored during the first half of 2025.
A generation at risk
Children and adolescents represent 34% of the displaced population in Colombia. They face heightened risks of forced recruitment, exploitation, and abuse due to instability and the suspension of key protection programmes.
Emergency response
Emergency response due to the unprecedented displacement. UNHCR deploys protection experts and distributes essential relief items to affected families.
The struggle for survival
Confined indigenous communities, who traditionally rely on hunting and fishing, face a severe food crisis, leading to malnutrition and heightened health issues as armed groups block access to their territories.
Hidden scars of confinement
The psychological impact of confinement and violence is severe, generating high levels of anxiety and stress that have led to elevated indices of suicide, especially among women and youth.
Coordination efforts
Despite operational challenges, UNHCR leads coordination efforts in departments like Chocó, ensuring the presence of humanitarian actors and support to local institutions responding to the needs of displaced populations.
Indigenous women
Indigenous women are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation, abuse, and gender-based violence, and confinement severely restricts their ability to feed families and uphold cultural roles.
EU support
EU support helps the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reach remote communities. This helps ensure life-saving protection interventions for Colombians affected by violence, forced displacement and confinement.
Indigenous people
In 2023, 10,640 indigenous people in Chocó experienced confinement, that’s 53% of the total confined population in the department.
