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More than 4,700 people have fled to Colombia due to heavy clashes between the Venezuelan military and an alleged Colombian armed group. It is expected that this measure will speed up the processing of humanitarian aid for those affected.
The Minister of the Interior, Daniel Palacios, pointed out this Sunday that a public calamity was decreed in the department of Arauca after the massive arrival of Venezuelan and national migrants to the region due to the armed confrontations that are taking place at the border these days.
Palacios, who also announced the opening of a Unified Command Post (PMU) in the area, assured that in the next few days all humanitarian assistance mechanisms will be activated to guarantee decent living, health and food conditions, to the more than 4,700 people who have come to the region.
Can read: More than 3,900 displaced people remain in Arauquita
“Today in Arauquita, we are giving an institutional response, the priority is the humanitarian attention of the population that has entered the country to guarantee them decent conditions, health and food for their prompt return. We recognize the work coordinated with international organizations such as IOM and UNHCR ”, said Minister Palacios this Sunday.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the objective is “to conclude the characterization process that will allow a real census of how many of the citizens who are in the shelter are Venezuelan citizens and how many Colombians in return.
“With the declaration of the public calamity there would be an action plan, which is the most important thing to unblock the care processes,” said the official.
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Days before, the Ombudsman’s Office warned that several of the people who crossed the border claimed to be victims of human rights violations and indiscriminate acts against the civilian population. For this reason, according to the Minister of Defense, “the Colombian government will carry out the procedure with the international community, understanding that it is a situation that occurs in a country other than Colombia.”
However, Palacios also assured that he hopes that, once this situation is resolved, people who have crossed the border can return to their country “safely.”
On the other side of the border, meanwhile, the fighting continues and the inhabitants continue to flee. According to President Nicolás Maduro, the clashes correspond to an offensive by his troops against a Colombian “irregular group”.
Until Sunday, the latest balance available, the clashes left at least three dead, 14 wounded and 32 captured.
