Colombia

Vision: The immediate risk posed by explosive ordnance (EO) to civilians and humanitarian actors is mitigated, while Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) contributes to peace implementation and strengthens national capacity in Colombia.

About

The humanitarian situation in Colombia is deteriorating due to the increased use of explosive devices by non-State Armed Groups (NSAG), including emerging threats such as UAVs/drones with explosive payloads.

As the lead agency for the Mine Action Area of Responsibility (MA AoR), UNMAS has estimated an 18% increase in the number of People in Need (PiN) for 2026 compared to 2025, which represents 812,966 people affected. Notably, 46 municipalities that had not reported any EO incidents between January 2021 and June 2025 have now reported incidents within the last 12 months. In addition, 27 municipalities previously declared mine-free between 2016 and 2024 have experienced recontamination, further exacerbating the humanitarian impact.

Impact

Since 2010, UNMAS has supported the Government of Colombia and key humanitarian, development and peacebuilding institutions to strengthen national capacity and integrate mine action into humanitarian and peacebuilding efforts.

1. Providing strategic guidance to the Humanitarian Country Team to ensure HMA remains integrated into broader humanitarian priorities and response.
2. Strengthening national and local capacities to respond to expanding EO contamination, improving preparedness and coordinated response.
3. Advancing analysis and response to evolving EO threats, including EO launched via uncrewed aircraft vehicles (UAVs/drones), to inform operations, policy, and protection mechanisms.
4. Advancing peacebuilding and Peace Agreement implementation by supporting the collection and analysis of EO-related information from former FARC-EP combatants, while providing technical assistance to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) to operationalize restorative HMA measures based on its first rulings.

Activities

Technical assistance and capacity building. Providing technical assistance to the National Mine Action Center (AICMA) and strengthening national and local institutions to plan, coordinate, and respond to EO threats.

EORE and victim assistance. Delivering EORE and supporting referral pathways to enhance the protection and resilience of EO survivors.

HMA in Peace Agreement implementation and restorative justice. Supporting the implementation of HMA-related aspects of the Peace Agreement, and providing technical assistance to the JEP to operationalize restorative HMA measures, translating judicial decisions into concrete action on the ground.

Advocacy and coordination. Coordinating the MA AoR within the humanitarian response, and advancing advocacy on the humanitarian impact of explosive threats—including the use of UAVs/drones with explosive payloads—informing response priorities and strengthening visibility of emerging risks. The programme produced an analytical report entitled Uncrewed Aircraft Systems with Explosive Payloads: Emerging Threats and Challenges for Colombia (English / Spanish).

Funding

UNMAS is thankful to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Peace in Colombia (UNMPTF), and the Governments of the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Spain, and the Swiss Confederation for their contributions in 2026.

Funding gaps:
● 2026: $ 373,175
● 2027: $ 1,283,981

For more information:

Antonio Salvatore Armentano, Chief of Mine Action Programme in Colombia, antonio.armentano@un.org
Takuto Kubo, Chief of Programmes, UNMAS New York, kubo@un.org

Data as of June 2026