ICRC Says Colombia Armed Conflict In 2025 Displaced 235,619 People, Worst Civilian Impact In Decade

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Colombia’s armed conflict reached its worst humanitarian impact on civilians in a decade in 2025, driven by increased hostilities and armed groups’ disregard for humanitarian law.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has documented an uptick in displacement, disappearances and explosive injuries as a result of Colombia’s six-decade-long internal conflict”

Al Jazeera

In the ICRC’s annual report, at least 235,619 people were individually displaced, 87,069 were displaced in mass displacement events, and 176,730 were confined, such as when an armed group imposes curfews or limits mobility.

Al Jazeera

The report also recorded 965 people injured or killed by explosives, mostly civilians, and documented 308 new disappearances, while deaths or injuries from explosives like mines increased 34% in 2025 and disappearances rose 22%.

Olivier Dubois, the ICRC’s regional chief in Colombia’s capital Bogota, said, "The humanitarian situation in 2025 results from progressive deterioration that the ICRC has warned about since 2018," as the crisis included homicides, disappearances, threats, sexual violence and recruitment of children and adolescents.

The ICRC said the number of people displaced by conflict in Colombia doubled year-on-year in 2025, reaching 235,619 people individually displaced, with mass displacement events affecting more than 87,000.

The ICRC also reported a 99 percent increase in the number of people confined to their homes by armed groups, describing confinement as a tactic used by guerrillas to assert control over territory.

Courrier international

In the same annual report, the ICRC said the number of people killed or injured by explosive devices increased by 34% in 2025, with approximately 965 people killed or injured by explosive devices over the last year.

Olivier Dubois, the ICRC’s chief of mission in Colombia, framed the deterioration as a continuing pattern, saying, "The humanitarian situation in 2025, is the result of a progressive deterioration that the ICRC has warned about since 2018," while the ICRC urged parties to respect the rights of civilians and protect those who no longer wish to take parts in hostilities.

The ICRC report warned that non-compliance with the rules of war aggravated Colombia’s humanitarian crisis in 2025, with 965 people—mostly civilians—wounded or killed by explosive devices and disappearances doubling to 308.

“At La Cecilia, a small municipality in the peri-urban zone of Teorama (in Colombia's Norte de Santander region), a white flag flies over all the houses, without exception”

Courrier international

It said the report recorded 845 allegations of IHL violations in 2025, and noted that nearly half (46%) of those killed or wounded by explosives lived in the Cauca region while two-thirds of large-scale displacement were concentrated in the Norte de Santander region.

The ICRC said fighting has regularly taken place in populated areas, endangering residents and limiting access to essential services, while it also pointed to increased use of explosive devices and drones that sown fear among urban and rural communities.

With security a central issue for voters ahead of presidential elections on May 31, right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella said, "Anyone who goes out to cause disturbances and attack me, the people, or the security forces will face an iron fist," as the ICRC insisted, "Respect for international humanitarian law is not optional," urging parties to protect civilians.