News Alert Colombia: New report highlights dire situation for displaced afro-Colombians

* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

A report released on 29 March by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) highlighted grave concerns for afro-Colombian IDPs in the department of Chocó, Colombia.  WOLA reports that afro-Colombian communities have fled, been trapped or confined by threats and violence by the country’s armed groups. Once displaced, they face assassination or forced recruitment by paramilitary groups, as well as discrimination while accessing government support such as housing and income generation.    This report is particularly concerning as Chocó has a predominantly afro-Colombian population.  According to the latest census, 82% of the population in Chocó is afro-Colombian.  According to UN OCHA in January and February of 2012, 20 mass displacements took place in Chocó, Cauca, and Nariño, most of which affected afro-Colombian or indigenous communities.  This suggests that afro-Colombians and other minorities are being particularly targeted by armed groups in these areas. About IDMC The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) (www.internal-displacement.org) was established by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in 1998, upon the request of the United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).  Monitoring internal displacement caused by conflict, violence, human rights violations and natural disasters in over 50 countries, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is widely respected as the leading source of information and analysis on internal displacement throughout the world. Sign up to IDMC news alerts here