Attachments
Aim
This report aims to assess the needs of IDPs experiencing individual displacement because of conflict in Colombia, with a specific focus on the municipalities of Bogotá, Buenaventura, Florencia, and Ocaña. Individual displacement tends to be underreported to the authorities, rendering those affected less visible and leaving them in precarious conditions without adequate support. The analysis examines the specific challenges that individually displaced people face, highlighting barriers to accessing basic services.
Methodology
The findings of this report are based on a combination of secondary data review and primary data collection through key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). This report cites KIIs to encompass insights gathered from both individual KIIs and FGDs, the latter conducted with people who have experienced displacement because of armed conflict and are currently residing in the studied municipalities. The primary data collection focused on gathering information specifically about individual displacement. The secondary data included reports and documents from humanitarian organisations, local NGOs, and national institutions, providing a broad context of displacement dynamics across Colombia.
Data collection was conducted in collaboration with REACH, involving 33 KIIs and six FGDs across the four municipalities (Bogotá, Buenaventura, Florencia, and Ocaña). The analysis team chose to focus on these municipalities given their status as major host locations for IDPs, the significant number of arrivals in each location, and their geographic and strategic importance in providing an understanding of the displacement dynamics.
Limitations and information gaps
Accessing reliable data on individual displacement presents significant challenges. A central issue for this report was distinguishing the needs and experiences of individually displaced people from those undergoing mass displacement. To address this challenge, the primary data collection tools explicitly focused on individual displacement. In much of the secondary data, however, this distinction was not clear. As a result, this report uses the term ‘IDP’ when the type of displacement (individual or mass) is not explicitly stated. This undermines efforts to accurately assess the number of individually displaced people and their needs upon arrival in host municipalities.
Unidad para la Atención y Reparación Integral a las Víctimas (UARIV), the national unit providing assistance to victims of armed conflict, keeps records on the number of displaced people, but these figures largely rely on IDPs actively declaring their status at UARIV offices. According to a 2024 Humanitarian NGO Forum survey, in 2023, 31% of the surveyed IDPs did not declare their displacement. The three main reasons for not declaring were fear for their safety (23%), perceiving it as useless (18.4%), and a lack of knowledge about the process (18%) (Humanitarian NGO Forum 22/05/2024).
Institutional distrust underpins these main reasons. First, many IDPs perceive institutional responses as inadequate or facing delays from bureaucratic processes. For example, a formal complaint against non-state armed groups (NSAGs) or other responsible parties must be filed with the prosecutor’s office as part of the declaration process. High demand at UARIV offices and other regional institutions often forces IDPs to wait long periods for appointments, heightening their vulnerability as they struggle to secure their basic needs (KII 16/10/2024; KII 21/10/2024; KII 30/09/2024; KII 01/10/2024). Second, key informants noted that IDPs are often concerned about the confidentiality of the information they share with institutions, fearing that declaring their displacement status may expose them to risks, particularly in areas with a high presence of NSAGs (KII 01/10/2024; KII 21/10/2024; KII 20/10/2024).
In the four municipalities, there are significant information gaps regarding the specific needs of individually displaced people, including the exact number of people in need and a more granular understanding of their challenges. There is also a lack of information on the needs of individually displaced people with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ population.