Colombia’s truth commission reveals the devastating health impact of half a century of conflict

An estimated 450 000 people were victims of homicide resulting from Colombia’s armed conflict between 1985 and 2018—around twice as many as previously estimated, making it one of the deadliest civil conflicts in modern history. More than eight in 10 victims were civilians, with more than 50 000 people kidnapped, 100 000 “disappeared,” and eight million displaced.“The conflict had a devastating impact on the lives and health of individuals, families, and communities. Mainly because of the amount of life that it cost the country—particularly younger generations,” says Saul Franco Agudelo, a doctor and one of 11 commissioners tasked with documenting the human rights atrocities committed as armed groups vied for control of the country.The full extent of the damage has now been revealed in a comprehensive report from Colombia’s Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence, and Non-Repetition—created out of a historic 2016 peace deal with the country’s largest insurgency,…
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