In a joint effort between the Ombudsman’s Office and the national government, through the National Humanitarian Demining Plan of the Directorate for Comprehensive Action Against Antipersonnel Mines (AICMA), alarming data was known about the situation of antipersonnel mines in the department. of Putumayo.
Since 1990 to date, 254 victims of accidents with antipersonnel mines have been registered, which represents a serious impact on the civilian population. The most affected municipalities are Puerto Asís (86 cases), Valle del Guamuez (31) and Puerto Caicedo (29).
The research and analysis work shows that the rural area of Puerto Asís concentrates the largest number of explosive devices, with Puerto Leguizamo being the municipality with the greatest impact. At the national level, Antioquia, Meta and Nariño top the list of departments with the highest number of victims.
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Despite these efforts, humanitarian demining work is hampered by the presence of illegal armed groups that prevent operators from accessing the territories. This situation puts the lives of communities at risk and delays the recovery of the affected areas.
And according to the calculation of People in Need (PiN) for the year 2024, it is projected that 607,910 people living in 146 municipalities in Colombia will be at risk of suffering an accident due to Antipersonnel Mines, Unexploded Munitions or Explosive Devices Improvised (MAP/MSE/AEI) or being confined or displaced by the presence of MAP/MSE/AEI in their territory, of these, more than 172,000 will be at risk of seeing their livelihoods collapse, due to the difficulties for the use, enjoyment and free movement through their territories in the presence of explosive devices.
The greatest impact could be recorded in 22 of the 32 departments of Colombia (Antioquia, Arauca, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Guainía, Guaviare, La Guajira, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés and Vichada).
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