Colombia

The humanitarian context in Colombia continues to present significant challenges for communities and institutions. Eight years after the peace agreement with the FARC-EP, one of the country’s oldest guerrilla groups, the armed conflict has escalated and undergone significant reconfiguration. According to OCHA, in 2024, the dynamics of violence have exacerbated the humanitarian situation in several regions of the country, with over 388,100 people affected by forced displacement, confinement, and mobility restrictions. Additionally, at least 16,200 people have suffered multiple impacts from these events. On the other hand, natural phenomena such as El Niño and the rainy season have affected more than 1.7 million people.

Humanitarian needs in the health sector are urgent, with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and disability attributable to preventable causes. Armed conflicts, climate variability, and migration constitute serious public health problems and critical social determinants. These situations not only cause deaths and disabilities, but their prolonged duration and the magnitude of their direct and indirect effects deeply impact the health, development, and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

In 2025, the Health Cluster estimates that approximately 6 million people require humanitarian assistance, 4.5 million face development-related needs and 3.9 million migrants need healthcare services. This means that 20% of the Colombian population, as well as 85% of the refugee and migrant population, is affected by their access to health services. The combination of these issues, along with the denial of humanitarian access and the direct impact on the healthcare system, further aggravates the situation.

Therefore, the health sector group’s activities are focused on:

1. Supporting access to and delivery of services.
2. Providing primary healthcare actions, including sexual and reproductive health, mental health and psychosocial support, care for prevalent childhood diseases, chronic diseases, and communicable and non-communicable diseases.
3. Epidemiological surveillance.
4. Strengthening community and institutional capacities.

Map disclaimer: Data source: WHO. Map production: WHO/Health Emergencies Programme. @ WHO 2021. All rights reserved.

Dr Mauricio Cerpa
Health Cluster Coordinator
cerpamau@paho.org

National team: 3
Coordinator: 2 PT
Information management officer: 1 PT
Public health officer:  0
Communications officer: 0
Other: 0
Subnational hubs: 21

Partners: 99
International NGOs: 29
National NGOs: 40
UN agencies: 9
National authorities: 8
Donors: 6
Observers: 3
Others: 4