Despite the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas and the current government’s negotiations with non-state armed groups, many areas of the country continue to be affected by conflict. In 2023, according to the Ombudsman’s Office, more than 66,000 people were forcibly confined and almost 55,000 displaced due to violent clashes and threats.  

In Alto Baudó, Chocó department, we have developed a model of care that aims to make medical services more accessible by bringing them closer to people’s homes. The project entails training members of the Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in general and mental health care and health promotion. Our team also supports patient referrals to more specialised health centres and hospitals.  

Until April 2023, we supported the same model of care in the municipalities of Barbacoas, Roberto Payán and Magüí Payán in Nariño department, known as the Telembí triangle, one of the sub-regions most affected by displacement in the country. This project was closed after two years, but we continue to monitor the medical and humanitarian needs in the area.  

MSF further increased access to care in 2023 by developing the Colombia Emergency Response System (CERS), a team comprising doctors, psychologists and nurses who make two- to four-week visits to provide comprehensive care to communities who cannot leave their homes due to armed violence. This team also played a key role in opening up humanitarian access for other organisations to these communities, who would otherwise be cut off from services. CERS supported communities in Amazonas, Guaviare, Antioquia, Cauca, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Chocó and Nariño departments.