Colombia: National ceasefire must resume immediately to protect Indigenous children, said Save the Children

Bogota, 23 May – A national ceasefire in Colombia, put in place to protect civilians, must resume immediately before more children are killed, Save the Children said today. 

The ceasefire was suspended yesterday in four provinces in southern Colombia after the killings of four Indigenous teenagers. It was initially put in place to bring peace to Colombia, a country where civilians are often caught up in the crossfire between armed groups vying for control of precious land and resources. 

According to the Coalition Against the Involvement of Children and Young People in the Armed Conflict in Colombia (COALICO), between 2020 and 2021 recruitment and use of children in armed conflict increased by 256%.  In addition, 78,100 people were massively displaced in the previous year, 18% of whom were children. 

Save the Children urges all armed groups involved in this conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law.  

“Peace must be restored now – across Colombia. More children will lose their lives if violence is allowed to continue. If conflict escalates, those most likely to suffer are children and families from unarmed, rural communities.  

“Their rights have been continuously trampled upon; many have been subjected to grave violations and families have been forced from their homes – without a cessation in violence, they face injury and death. We urgently call on all parties in Colombia to restore the ceasefire – and to commit to long-lasting, sustainable peace,” said Maria Paula Martinez, Country Director at Save the Children Colombia. 

Save the Children works in Colombia with Indigenous people in the country, helping children, teenagers and young people who have been affected by violence, many of whom have had to flee their homes. The child rights organisation offers psychosocial support, education and child protection to children and their families who have been internally displaced.  

 --ENDS--

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