Thousands more people forced to flee from Colombia's armed conflict

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Between 3 and 4 million people in Colombia have now been forced to leave their homes because of the country's long-running armed conflict. At least a further 500,000 are believed to have fled to neighbouring countries.

The number of internally displaced people in Colombia is now amongst the highest in the world. The number is still rising according to a new Amnesty International document, published on Thursday.

Everything left behind: Internal displacement in Colombia says that around 380,000 people were forced to flee their homes in 2008. That is an increase of over 24 per cent from 2007, according to the figures supplied by human rights organization CODHES (Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento).

"The dire humanitarian situation in Colombia is one of today's most hidden tragedies, and belies claims by the Colombian government that the country has overcome its troubled past," said Marcelo Pollack, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Americas programme.

Most displaced people are escaping violence arising from Colombia's 40-year-long internal armed conflict. Guerrilla groups, paramilitaries and the security forces have targeted many of them deliberately. Often, the aim is to remove whole communities from areas of military, strategic or economic importance.

The great majority of those affected are Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Descendants and campesinos, many of whom live in areas of interest to the parties to the conflict.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGNAU2009071611424">Amnesty Intl - read more