Colombia

The armed conflict in Colombia is a more remote phenomenon for most of the population - only now and then are their lives interrupted by episodic violence and, at times, atrocities involving civilians, kidnappings and the blowing-up of oil pipelines. Violent attacks can happen at any moment, frequently catching civilians in the middle, causing a blurring of the lines between civilians and combatants. The indiscriminate nature of the violence means that most people are potential victims and has turned the ICRC into a well-known entity in this country. Together with the government, it is the first organization that people would turn to for help when the rules of war are broken. (see Country Report Colombia for details.)