METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION GAPS
This analysis faced significant challenges gathering information. Data collection relied heavily on key informant interviews (KII), government reports, and secondary sources. The limited availability of reliable, up-to-date information and the absence of systematic humanitarian assessments posed constraints on the depth and rigor typical of ACAPS’s standard methodology.
There are many information gaps regarding the conditions of IDPs in Neiva, and limited information on the humanitarian impacts they are facing. The department lacks a humanitarian country team, resulting in a lack of coordinated humanitarian response. This gap hampers efforts to systematically address and document the challenges faced by IDPs, leaving many without the support and resources necessary to improve their living conditions.
CRISIS IMPACT OVERVIEW
Since the beginning of 2024, as a result of escalating conflict and violence, the Neiva municipality has seen an influx of IDPs from surrounding municipalities, 95% of whom have been forcibly displaced (Caracol 11/12/2023). The department of Huila is in Colombia’s southeastern region, bordering the departments of Caquetá, Cauca, Meta, and Tolima. Huila comprises 37 municipalities, including Neiva, which is situated in the central part of the department and serves as its capital (PNUD/ASDI 24/06/2010). According to a report published in early May 2024 by the Unit for the Attention and Integral Reparation to the Victims (UARIV), the city was hosting 53,386 IDPs (Diario del Huila 06/05/2024; Caracol 06/05/2024).
Based on Huila department figures, these IDPs come from diverse areas of origin: 55% from other municipalities in Huila, such as Algeciras, Baraya, La Argentina, La Plata, Nátaga, and Tello; 19% from the neighbouring department of Caquetá, such as the San Vicente del Caguán and Florencia municipalities; and the remaining 26% from other departments and areas bordering Huila, including Cauca (Diario del Huila 06/05/2024; Caracol 21/02/2024).