The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that Colombia's humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. Escalating armed violence, severe movement restrictions, and repeated climate shocks have left millions in urgent need. In 2026, an estimated 10.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
On Wednesday, OCHA reported that more than 1.6 million people were impacted by violence last year ā three times more than in the previous year ā including over 150,000 people whose movements were restricted and nearly 100,000 people who were displaced. These are the highest levels recorded since the beginning of OCHA's monitoring in 2008.
Armed conflict is the main driver of this surge, followed by natural disasters and restricted humanitarian access. In 2025, humanitarian operations were increasingly hindered by more than 400 incidents affecting over 1.6 million people.
OCHA warns that with up to a 70 percent chance of above-normal rainfall in April, the risk of new natural disasters is rising. Last year, climate-related emergencies affected one million people, destroyed more than 3,000 homes, displaced over 20,000 people, and left more than 330,000 people in need of aid.
In response to recent flooding in CĆ³rdoba, a region in northern Colombia, the UN and its humanitarian partners are coordinating with the government on relief efforts. Food, cash, and hygiene supplies have been distributed to people in the most affected areas.
This year, aid agencies are appealing for US$287 million to assist 1.2 million of the most vulnerable people. However, last year's Humanitarian Response Plan sought $342 million to assist two million people and received only 25 percent of the required funding. This was largely due to major cuts by key donors, particularly the United States.
Humanitarian organizations working in Colombia have been severely impacted and have responded with drastic measures, including suspending numerous field programs. There are deep concerns about the impact of the funding crisis on those in urgent need.
Large-scale displacement and insecurity persist
Nine years after the peace accord between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was signed, large-scale internal displacement and insecurity due to armed violence persist.
Colombia has endured more than half a century of conflict fueled by illegal drug production, trafficking, and territorial control by armed groups. The growing impact of climate-related hazards and the integration of 2.9 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants further heighten humanitarian needs.
Violence among non-state armed groups and recurring natural disasters continue to displace people and exacerbate food insecurity and health risks for vulnerable groups. The fragmentation of these groups and the intensification of conflicts among them have weakened the social fabric of impacted communities, undermined security, and limited the stateās ability to protect civilians.
Colombia has the highest rate of conflict-related displacement in the Americas. With approximately 7 million internally displaced people (IDPs), Colombia remains among the three countries with the largest number of IDPs worldwide.
Approximately 30 percent of Colombians are food insecure, meaning 15.5 million people lack sufficient access to food and struggle to meet their basic needs. Of these individuals, 2.1 million are severely food insecure and 13.4 million are moderately food insecure.
According to the OCHA, the presence of non-state armed actors, including the National Liberation Army (ELN), FARC dissident groups, paramilitary successor groups, and drug trafficking gangs, affects nearly 10 million Colombians. Civilians in different parts of Colombia suffer serious human rights violations at the hands of these armed groups.
Human rights defenders under threat
In a related development, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) issued a report on Thursday showing that human rights defenders in Colombia have been subjected to unrelenting violence over the past decade, with an average of nearly 100 killed each year.
āIt is heartbreaking that Colombia remains one of the deadliest places on earth to be a human rights defender,ā said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker TĆ¼rk.
āThe current government has implemented several important measures to address violence against human rights defenders, but, as this report shows, much more needs to be done.ā
While the report acknowledges steps taken by the government, it notes that authorities have yet to reverse patterns of violence or address structural challenges that prevent effective protection.
āAlongside ensuring accountability for the killings that have occurred, addressing the structural causes of this human tragedy [ā¦] must be the priority, for all relevant authorities in Colombia, to protect human rights defenders and to enable them to carry out their critical work safely,ā TĆ¼rk added.