UN humanitarian chief travels to Chocó region in Colombia

(Bogota/New York, 24 February, 2009): On the second day of his mission to Colombia, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes traveled to the Chocó region in northwest Colombia. The trip provided an opportunity for the Emergency Relief Coordinator to meet representatives of indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities who have been affected by floods, displacement and violence.

In Bebedó, which is an Afro-Colombian community, the ERC met community leaders and families who had been affected by severe flooding in November 2008, when most of their homes were destroyed. Community leaders explained the many challenges they face and their resulting needs given that the town, located on the San Juan river, is not only subject to recurrent flooding but also suffers from high levels of poverty and the effects of conflict in the area.

"I was impressed by the resilience of the community," Mr. Holmes said. "While they are receiving much needed help from the government, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and others, it is clear that they are doing everything they can to try to help themselves, and restore their livelihoods," he said.

In Bebedó, Mr. Holmes also met representatives of the Wounaan tribe of indigenous people, who came to meet him in the town. They explained how they had been displaced for three months in 2005 by violence related to conflict and narco-traffic in their territory, and continued to face major problems in pursuing their traditional way of life: they are effectively confined to their village by the presence of armed groups and landmines. They also lack education and health care facilities, as well as livelihood opportunities. "Talking to the indigenous leaders brought home the depth of the vulnerability and problems faced by these communities," Mr. Holmes said. "They will not survive without a lot of help," he added.

The ERC also saw first hand in Bebedó some of the humanitarian assistance that a grant from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has made possible. With a total of $8.1 million so far this year, including the recent under funded allocation of USD 5 million, Colombia is the fifth largest recipient of CERF funding in 2009.

Finally, the ERC met 22 indigenous people from the Katio tribe from Vira Vira, who had taken refuge in the town of Condoto, having been displaced three weeks ago following the murder of one of the members of their small community by an illegal armed group. They told the ERC that they desperately wanted to return to their territory, but fear of further violence is deterring them.

"This visit illustrated in vivid fashion the problems of those minority communities and the need for a determined response by the government and the international community, working together, to find durable solutions," Mr. Holmes concluded.

On Wednesday, the ERC will visit Quibdo and return to Bogotá to meet Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in the final day of his visit to Colombia.

For further information, please call:

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1917 892,
1679, bunker@un.org; Nicholas Reader +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117, reader@un.org;
Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org.
OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.
For more information about CERF, please see http://cerf.un.org