Violence in Columbia has increasingly drawn the attention of worldwide humanitarian groups. In July, Jan Egeland, the United Nations Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs, declared in New York publicly that Colombia had become “by far the biggest humanitarian catastrophe of the Western Hemisphere”. It is the third worst in the world after Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Caritas International, the global network of Catholic aid agencies, called for churches across the world to pray for peace in Colombia on this coming Sunday 24th October as one of the highlights of the campaign “Peace is Possible”. The British campaign was launched last Sunday.

Mgr Héctor Fabio Henao, National director of Caritas Colombia, said that the bloody conflict in the country had already lasted for almost 40 years.

The Catholic Church has been spearheaded in making peace in Colombia. For decades, the Churches have acted as a bridge between different warring parties on all levels and have been negotiating for an outcome to the armed conflict. It also works in various fields like education, providing food, shelter and medicines for the victims of the conflict.

Mgr Héctor Fabio Henao said, “In this work, the support of our sister churches throughout the world is vital. Please remember Colombia in your prayers.”

Alongside his call for prayer, Mgr Héctor Fabio Henao reported the crisis in Colombia. At least three million people have been made homeless by the conflict in the Latin American country in the last 15 years. An average of 30,000 people are murdered there per year.

“One of the cruellest aspects of the war is that people are driven from their homes. In the last three months, 65,000 people have been displaced. 80 percent of the displaced people live in conditions of extreme poverty and lack access to adequate food.”

“Young people are among the casualties of the war. They are brutalised by being forced to become child soldiers. At least 11,000 children under 14 have been forced to fight.”

“The war has destroyed the country’s infrastructure and increased poverty. The number of people unable to buy food has risen over the last ten years to 34 percent. Employment, health, and education have all regressed in the last ten years.”

Caritas International is hoping that through the supporting prayers of the churches, that peace can be brought to the violent country.