Launch: Strategy to Promote Humanitarian Management with Indigenous Peoples

Colombia is home to 115 indigenous peoples who, although making up 4 per cent of the country's total population, in 2022 represented 41 per cent of the people affected by humanitarian emergencies such as mass displacement and confinement. Among the risk situations faced by indigenous peoples are the dynamics of violence, illegal economies and natural disasters, aggravated by climate change, which have weakened the strength of their organizational, political and spiritual structure.

"Things have changed, nothing is the same anymore, not only does our food get confiscated, but it seems that even the plants are afraid, they no longer want to produce food" ... "When we plant our crops, we see that as the plant begins to grow, it also begins to die. It seems that something prevents them from giving food, that they do not want to nurture violence. Every day we are more and more immersed in the difficult things that the groups generate." Similar testimonies are shared with humanitarian actors by indigenous communities in the Pacific region.

In such a context, the Humanitarian Team in Colombia, in consultation with indigenous representatives, has prepared a Strategy to Promote Humanitarian Management with Indigenous Peoples. This is a strategy based on the diagnosis made by the humanitarian community that seeks to make visible the situation of indigenous peoples and promote joint actions that contribute to the dignity and welfare of peoples, with respect for the autonomy and self-determination of their communities and territories. This document is available here (in Spanish).

"The strategy we are launching today is a recognition of the human, cultural and spiritual value of indigenous peoples. It is a call for attention to the disproportionate affectations they are suffering and that we must mitigate. And it is an invitation for us to incorporate the ancestral knowledge and customs of the 115 peoples, listen to their needs and redirect our actions towards a more efficient, relevant and above all a jointly built response with indigenous peoples in all phases of emergencies," said Mireia Villar Forner, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Colombia.

The strategy defines as a priority to make visible the humanitarian situation of indigenous peoples in the Colombian territory and proposes a plan of action that responds to the most pressing needs, promotes dialogue and consultation with indigenous authorities and their national and territorial organizational structures.

The United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programs and national and international non-governmental humanitarian organizations, members of the Humanitarian Country Team, remain committed to complement the humanitarian efforts of the national authorities, and to reflect together on how to improve the response to the serious humanitarian situation faced by indigenous peoples, seeking to ensure their survival, knowledge and worldview in the construction of a more equitable and sustainable future.

For further information, please contact: Carolina Saenz - Communications Officer OCHA / +57 302 860 76 88 |carolina.saenz@un.org