For the reason that starting of June, armed clashes between the ELN guerrillas and the paramilitary AGC within the Colombian division of Chocó have resulted within the displacement of over 100 households and the confinement of roughly 800 households alongside the San Juan and Sipí rivers.

The Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Peace (OACP) carried out a “MissionPeace” to evaluate the scenario and reported these communities’ alarming situations.

San Miguel, situated on the San Juan River, has displaced greater than 130 households, with some relocating to the town of Istmina and others dispersing to neighboring cities.

In the meantime, roughly 800 households are confined to the municipal capital of Sipí and surrounding hamlets.

The disaster has drawn comparisons to the turbulent interval between 2000 and 2004, marked by intensified battle between the now-defunct FARC and the paramilitary United Self-Protection Forces of Colombia (AUC).

Satirically, these clashes happen whereas the ELN is engaged in negotiations that embody provisions for “humanitarian aid” within the Bajo San Juan space.

Nevertheless, on this area, the ELN continues to interact in fierce clashes with the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC) or Clan del Golfo.

The battle for territorial management has displaced communities and subjected them to intensive confinement, resulting in elevated malnutrition and restricted entry to important companies.

The Excessive Commissioner testified that each the ELN and AGC have impeded the motion of civilian boats on the Sipí River and erected roadblocks, leading to shortages of meals, medication, and gasoline.

Moreover, there are considerations in regards to the presence of anti-personnel mines, hindering entry to important crop fields and additional exacerbating the communities’ already precarious scenario.