GOC, LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO MASS

UNCLAS BOGOTA 006230 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR PRM, DRL AND WHA/AND; GENEVA FOR RMA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PHUM ICRC CO SUBJECT: GOC, LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO MASS DISPLACEMENTS IN CONDOTO, CHOCO ¶1. Summary. In response to a displacement of over 400 rural, mostly Afro-Colombian residents of the Condoto municipality in southern Choco, GOC, local government and international humanitarian groups provided emergency humanitarian aid and protection. In recent days, the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their leaders have been pressing the GOC to help them coordinate a quick, safe and sustainable return home. End Summary. ¶2. During the period July 27 - August 14, at least 400 displaced persons (IDPs),mostly Afro-Colombians, fled to Condoto, a town with 12,400 residents in southern region of the Choco department. Per the UN Humanitarian Coordinator (OCHA),these displacements were due to FARC presence and combat with the Colombian military in the rural areas of the municipality. Per established practice, the Condoto municipal government and public forces (police, military) set up a committee to attend to the IDPs and arranged temporary housing for all arrivals in Condoto's Montessori school as well as with local residents. ¶3. The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO),the GOC's Accion Social, and international humanitarian groups helped the Condoto municipal government respond to the crisis. GOC's Accion Social took over management of the emergency response. The municipality, aided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),delivered food, household and hygiene items to the IDPs. Several other municipal and national government agencies worked together to deliver other health and protection-related assistance to the arrivals: - the local San Jose de Condoto hospital is attending to IDP's medical needs - no outbreaks or acute illness have developed amongst the arrivals; - Department of Choco Health authorities and the GOC Ministry of Social Protection, working with PAHO, coordinated the delivery of additional medical supplies to the local hospital; - PAHO worked with local officials to install water filters in the temporary shelters to increase the potable water supply (Note: This component of PAHO's program is funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.); - the local Personeria and Accion Social reached out to IDPs and are accepting declarations for the IDP registry; - the municipality, working in collaboration with IDP leaders, helped IDPs in need of basic identity documents. ¶5. In addition to the ICRC and PAHO, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and OCHA are monitoring the situation. ¶6. In recent days, IDPs' leaders met with the Condoto municipality to discuss the desire of many IDPs to return quickly to their homes. Prior to the return, the IDPs' leaders agreed the IDPs must reach consensus to voluntarily return. Leaders also pressed local, GOC and military officials to provide the security and material support needed to make their return safe and sustainable. In particular, they urged the public forces, which recently increased their presence in Condoto, to verify security conditions in the rural areas. GOC and international groups were asked to provide humanitarian aid and transport to support the return. Nichols