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Colombia + 2 more

Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update as of 31 January 2025

Attachments

KEY FIGURES

  • 75.5K people affected by armed attacks in Catatumbo, Colombia
  • 500 people displaced by wildfires in Chile in 2025
  • 1.6K people forcibly displaced due to attacks in Kenscoff, Haiti on 27-28 January

COLOMBIA: DISPLACEMENT

The humanitarian situation in Colombia’s north-eastern Catatumbo region has deteriorated significantly in the past two weeks, with forced displacement exceeding the total number of victims nationwide in 2024. The affected population has now reached 75,500 people, with 51,900 forced displacements, compared to 51,600 nationwide in 2024, and more than 23,600 people confined. The crisis has particularly affected indigenous communities. Clashes near indigenous reserves have affected some 300 Barí people, while at least 107 people from the Sakacdú reserve remain confined.

On 27 January, clashes between non-state armed groups (NSAGs) in the municipality of Ábrego escalated tensions, with concerns of further violence in the region. Some families who initially fled have returned out of fear of losing their homes and livelihoods amid the region’s security situation, increasing protection risks. Humanitarian access remains restricted, hindering the verification of confinements and the timely delivery of humanitarian aid by state institutions and Local Coordination Team (LCT) partners, further aggravating the vulnerability of the affected communities.

On 28 January, nearly 120 social leaders from Catatumbo gathered in Bogotá, setting up encampments in the city’s main square to demand urgent action from the Government, including improvements in education, health, security and the substitution of illicit crops. The latest humanitarian response reports indicate that the government has delivered 271 tons of immediate humanitarian assistance. Additionally, LCT partners have provided basic support to 15,000 people, addressing shelter, health, protection, food, and water needs, with a focus on Ocaña, Tibú and Cúcuta.

HAITI: VIOLENCE & DISPLACEMENT

Ongoing violence in Haiti continues to drive widespread displacement, with coordinated attacks in Kenscoff on 27-28 January leaving 40 dead and displacing at least 1,669 people. While most sought refuge with host families, about 550 sheltered in three newly established sites. According to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, Haiti’s forcibly displaced population has reached 1 million, including over half a million children—a 48 per cent increase since September. Meanwhile, forced returns from the Dominican Republic worsen the crisis, with nearly 15,000 Haitians sent back in early January. Amid the violence, disasters are further straining humanitarian conditions, with floods affecting 330,000 people across six of Haiti’s ten departments since November. The floods have caused 26 deaths, 73 injuries, and widespread home destruction, deepening the emergency.

CHILE: WILDFIRES

Chile continues to battle multiple wildfires across various regions, with thousands of hectares burned so far in 2025. On 27 January, red alerts were declared for San Javier and Cholchol. The Villaboro wildfire in San Javier has been extinguished after burning 1,623 hectares, destroying one home and displacing one person. Efforts to control the Coipuco fire in Cholchol, which has burned 380 hectares, are ongoing. Two fires in Araucania have now been contained after burning over 1,300 hectares. According to IFRC, the fires have injured two people and displaced at least 500. While red alerts were lifted by 31 January, the JRC Global Wildfire Information System forecasts very high fire danger in the coming days.

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