The Colombian Red Cross, based on the latest report “Humanitarian Challenges 2022 Colombia” published by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), reports that in 2021 alone, there were 486 victims of weapons contamination in the country. This means that the said number of people were victims of either anti-personnel mines, weapons and/or explosive devices. On April 4, on the International Day of Awareness against Anti-Personnel Mines, the entity called for the protection of life and dignity.
It was noted that in recent years there has been a worrying exponential increase in cases of victims of mines, weapons or explosives. In 2017, 57 victims were identified, then 244 were reported in 2018, 353 in 2019 and 392 in 2020.
The Colombian Red Cross assured that improvised explosive devices, including controlled detonation devices, generate humanitarian consequences at the individual, family and community levels. The list takes into account physical and psychological effects, deaths, family disintegration, economic and cultural effects, confinement, displacement, limitation of access to essential services such as health and education, and the lack of productivity of the territories, among the most relevant.
To counter this situation, the Colombian Red Cross indicated that it is carrying out humanitarian missions around peacebuilding. In this regard, he recalled that the campaign for safe behaviors in rural and urban settings #SeguimosDePie is active. This initiative aims to “provide protection measures for civilians and their application when they feel at risk due to a situation of armed conflict or another situation of violence”.
It was indicated that the campaign aims to mitigate the humanitarian consequences caused by armed conflict and other situations of violence, as well as weapons pollution. The Red Cross warned that many common objects can be booby traps, such as a pack of cigarettes, footballs, a watch, an abandoned house, a book, a radio, among others.
Safe behavior in the face of armed riots or confrontations
The Colombian Red Cross provided instructions so that civilians who are at risk can protect their lives.
- Stay away from windows and balconies if you hear gunshots.
- Find a safe place where there are at least two walls between you and the place of the shooting or clashes.
- If you are in a public place in case of gunfire, take refuge in a place nearby.
- In the event of an explosion, throw yourself on the ground.
- Avoid going out to look for your relatives.
- Avoid being curious.
- Do not go near the scene of the incident.
- Keep emergency contacts handy.
- Recognize signs of risk.
- Identify safe places.
- Identify safe routes.
- Always upload your ID.
- Avoid touching or moving explosive devices, or foreign objects in hazardous areas.
- Children should play only in safe places identified by the community
- In rural areas avoid going out of the safe path to take shortcuts, pick fruits, seek shade, water or cell phone signal.
- Areas where anti-personnel mines and other types of explosive ordnance are likely to be: areas of combat, presence or transit of armed groups or where accidents or incidents involving explosive ordnance have occurred.
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