IOM and Ecuadorian authorities, including officials of the Ministry
of Public Health, this week opened the first emergency room for
victims of gender-based violence in the country.

The new emergency room is located in the Divine Providence
Hospital in the city of San Lorenzo, near the Colombian border,
considered one of the most vulnerable areas for gender-based
violence with many reported cases.  Because of its geographic
location, the city also hosts large numbers of Colombians who cross
the border in search of international protection.

According to official figures, an estimated 83,000 women are
victims of psychological or physical abuse, including sexual abuse,
each year in Ecuador.  This translates to 7,000 gender-based
violence incidents per month, and 230 each day.

Working with the Ministry of Health, IOM trained 43 health
professionals and carried out a mass information campaign against
gender violence in the region.  The campaign messages focused
on the protection of human rights, as well as prevention and
response to gender-based violence, targeting the local population
and those seeking international protection. 

Figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
estimate that some 85,000 Colombians are living in the northern
border region, and that up to 70 per cent of them are in need of
special protection.  Of this group, some 35,000 persons, known
as "invisible refugees", have not applied for refugee status, the
vast majority due to lack of information or mistrust of the
authorities.

An IOM programme launched in October of 2005 assists Colombians
who cross into Ecuador fleeing the violence of illegal armed groups
and are in search of international protection.  The programme,
funded by the US Department of State's Bureau of Population,
Refugees and Migration (PRM), covers Colombia's border areas with
Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.

For more information, please contact:

Ana Guzman

IOM-Ecuador

Tel:  + (593-2) 225-3948

E-mail: "mailto:aguzman@iom.int">aguzman@iom.int