Colombia
Wilson, 10, stands in front of the CRS-supported Tamba health clinic that provides nutrition assistance to indigenous families. Photo by Jim Stipe/CRS
Colombia's five-decade-old armed conflict and ongoing human rights violations have made it the country with the second-largest number of internally displaced people in the world, after Sudan. The armed conflict, which began in the 1960s, has displaced more than 4 million people. Children, women, indigenous people and Afro-Colombians, the poor and people with disabilities suffer most from displacement.
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Stats
| Population: | 44,725,543 (July 2011 est.) |
| Size: | 439,735 sq. mi.; slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| People Served: | 28,802 (2011 est.) |
History
Catholic Relief Services has worked in Colombia for more than 50 years. In response to increased violence and widespread suffering, our work now focuses on strengthening the Catholic Church's National Social Ministry Secretariat, providing humanitarian aid and helping people displaced by Colombia's armed conflict integrate into host communities.
CRS and Caritas believe peace in Colombia is possible. The Colombian bishops have called for international support for a negotiated path toward peace, policies that address underlying social and economic problems, and humanitarian aid for the millions of victims of the conflict. We work with other Catholic, ecumenical and civil society organizations to increase U.S. understanding of the complex situation in Colombia and encourage advocacy that responds to our Colombian Church partners' concerns.
Partners
The National Social Ministry Secretariat: The Catholic Church's National Social Ministry Secretariat/Caritas Office is committed to integral human development and building a new society based on solidarity, justice, peace and respect for human rights and in light of the Word of God and Church Social Doctrine.
The Secretariat strengthens and empowers civil society, promoting a culture of peace, and supporting diocesan efforts to advance peacebuilding and human rights. The Human Mobility (Migration) Ministry advocates for the rights of people displaced by the conflict.
The Social Ministry Secretariat also coordinates an "Observatory of Colombian Events from a Pastoral Standpoint" to provide the country's bishops with ongoing analysis of current events.
