Fighting in Columbia displaces more than 1,000 indigenous people

More than 1,000 members of an indigenous group have taken refuge in a school to escape combat on their territory in the south of Colombia. Hundreds of Awá people fled their land near the town of Tumaco on the Pacific Coast when fighting started Tuesday morning between the army and an irregular armed group. As of yesterday (Thursday), a total of 1,018 people had gathered in the school of the small village of Inda Sabaleta, some 25 minutes by road from their communities, and were waiting to be able to return home.

The local UNHCR team reports that almost half of the group (488) are children under the age of 16. The local authorities have delivered food for the past three days and a doctor is on site. UNHCR has offered its support to meet the needs in water, sanitation and accommodation.