JOINT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
Located in the northwest of South America, at the level of the Equator, Colombia has a diverse geography. It is home to the Andean region, the Amazon region, an extensive plain shared with Venezuela, and both Caribbean and Pacific coasts and islands. This gives the country diverse weather conditions such as its tropical climate on the coast and eastern lowlands and cooler climate in the highlands and Andes. It shares borders with Venezuela and Brazil to the east, with Peru and Ecuador to the south, and with Panama to the west.
Ranked 29 by the 2024 INFORM Risk Index, Colombia is exposed to a broad range of natural hazards, hydrometeorological as well as geophysical. Climate change exacerbates weather-related hazards while impacting major economic sectors and human livelihoods. More than half of the people affected by natural hazards are also affected by the presence of armed groups and violence. Despite the signature of the peace agreement between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government in 2016, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), there are currently seven active armed conflicts in Colombia, three between the Government of Colombia and non-state armed groups and four between non-state armed groups. The conflicts still have significant consequences in terms of loss of civilian lives and population displacement, and confinement measures considerably impact tens of thousands of people every year.
Colombia is also hosting significant numbers of migrants, due to the ongoing migration crisis in the Americas, and at least 2.5 million Venezuelans are present in the country. Colombia has seen an increase in the migratory flow transiting through the centre and north of the region, particularly through the hostile jungle terrain of the Darien Gap, where the presence of armed groups and criminal gangs make mobility and humanitarian assistance difficult.
The socio-economic consequences of disasters and conflict in Colombia represent a major challenge for the country and for the sustainability of development. The municipalities most affected are those with the lowest levels of development and governance and, despite progress in delivering social protection systems, the population continues to face significant challenges in access to health services, especially in rural areas, access to education, social equality, and protection from gender-based violence.
It is estimated that 7.7 million people are in need of assistance in Colombia as a combined result of armed conflict and violence, displacement and migration, an increase in natural hazards and climate-related events, and an increase in socio-economic needs generated by COVID-19 and inflation.
