Increased fighting between left-wing guerilla organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and right-wing paramilitaries belonging to the United Self-Defense Forces (AUC) along the Colombia-Panama border has caused large numbers of indigenous Colombians to seek refuge in Panama. Over the last two months, more than 1,200 people have been forced to flee, including 556 people from Embera communities of the western Chaco region, and 675 people from the Unión Cuití and Hoja Blanca communities. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Colombian government are offering support to the refugees and those who remain in the Chaco region, the poorest state in the nation, in the form of food, water, and medical assistance.
