About 75 people of ethnic Zenú origin have fled fighting raging in their ethnic lands to neighboring municipalities in northern Colombia
Since 2006 the Early Warning System of the Ombudsman’s office has been warning about the risk for this indigenous population because of fighting raging in the area, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Those affected are 15 families of ethnic Zenú origin, who were fleeing their rural homelands near Montelibano to head toward Puerto Libertador.
Added to the hardship is the fear among the population of moving through the area because of the minefields along the route.
In July, 224 people from the same ethnic group fled to the village of Juan Jose to escape fighting between the army and the FARC. The U.N. organization has not yet been able to confirm the welfare of this group, but will investigate further with local authorities.
This is the seventh movement is recorded in the southern department of Cordoba (municipalities of Montelibano, Puerto Libertador and Tierralta) throughout the year.
Colombia has one of the world’s highest number of internal refugees with an estimated 3 to 4 million forced from their homelands due to violence and insecurity. The exact figure however, is unknown.
