Colombia is the fourth largest country in South America, and has a population of 45.6 million. It has a diverse culture reflecting the indigenous Indian, Spanish and African origins of its people.
Colombia is often described as a country of contradictions. Rich in natural resources and scenes of astounding natural beauty, it is also home to one of the world's most brutal and complex conflicts.
During the last fifty years, the country has been embroiled in an armed conflict between paramilitaries, guerrilla groups and state armed forces. This conflict has been increasingly fuelled and funded by the illegal drugs trade, kidnapping and control over natural resources. This has had an enormous impact on the lives of millions of people. Recent estimates place the number of displaced at more than 3 million, a staggering 9% of the population. (CODHES,Human Rights Watch)
A large number of those displaced are vulnerable children. Children also make up more than half of those most affected by poverty, hunger and insecurity, and suffer disproportionately from limited or lack of access to housing, healthcare, humanitarian aid and education.
Around a quarter of the paramilitary and guerrilla fighters are children and young people who may have been forcibly recruited or see joining the conflict as an escape route from widespread rural poverty.
The Colombian government’s focus on defence and military spending has also diverted much-needed resources away from education, health and other services, letting children and other vulnerable groups slip through the gaps in the country’s over-stretched social welfare system.
People with disabilities, and those injured by landmines or the conflict are further marginalised due to a lack of health and rehabilitation services. Tens of thousands of people, including many children, are left no option but to make the streets their home, and may resort to crime, sex work or the drug trade to survive.
Vast social and racial inequality throughout society also has a serious impact on children’s well-being, with disproportionate numbers of indigenous and Afro-Colombian people among both the urban and rural poor. The growing insecurity in the job market and the huge informal labour sector is reflected in the increasing pressure on many children and young people to neglect their education and help provide for their families.
Sources: UNICEF, CODHES, UNDP, CEPAL, Human Rights Watch
View a map of Colombia showing the location of COTA projects here.
UK Registered Charity No. 1075037 | Company limited by guarantee No. 3731943
