In the past five days more than 1,500 Colombians have crossed the
border into northern Ecuador to escape insecurity in Colombia's
Narino province.

So far 1,553 Colombians, mostly women and children, have been
registered in the town of San Lorenzo, located on the northwest
coast of Ecuador, in the border province of Esmeraldas.

IOM, working with the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Pan
American Health Organization, as well as national and local
authorities, took immediate action to provide emergency assistance
to the newly arrived, who are currently housed in ten shelters in
the town of San Lorenzo.

All received food, medicine, bedding, mosquito nets, cooking and
cleaning supplies. The assistance is being provided under Phase II
of IOM's "Emergency Assistance to Colombians Seeking International
Protection" programme funded by the United States Department of
State Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).

The Ecuadorian authorities are looking for longer-term options
to provide protection and assistance to the newly arrived. At the
moment, one of the possibilities discussed is to move some of the
Colombians to the town of Ibarra in the province of Imbabura, which
has better infrastructures.

For further information, please contact:

Ana María Guzmán

IOM Quito

Tel: + 593 2-22-53-948/49

E-mail: "mailto:aguzman@oim.org.ec" target="_blank" title=
"">aguzman@oim.org.ec