IOM and Colombia's Family Welfare Institute (ICBF by its Spanish
acronym) have signed two cooperation agreements aimed at
strengthening activities to prevent the recruitment of children and
adolescents into illegal armed groups and to continue providing
assistance to these victims.

One project, with a total budget of USD 12.3 million (USD 10.8
million funded by ICBF and the rest by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), would benefit some 20,000 minors
at risk of being recruited into illegal armed groups and another
800 will receive direct advice and assistance from the Referral and
Opportunities Centers for Youth (CROJS by its Spanish acronym).

The other initiative will receive a total of USD 7.8 million in
funding (USD 7.6 from ICBF and the remainder from USAID) to work
with children under the age of six to prevent future conscription
into illegal armed groups.

According to Human Rights Watch, some 11,000 Colombian minors
are estimated to be involved with illegal armed groups.

IOM and ICBF will also work to ensure that the rights of all
children are upheld and to decrease the threats that decades of
armed conflict have inflicted on children. The project also aims to
strengthen family ties between vulnerable children and their
parents.

As part of the agreement, the Organization handed over the
IOM-designed software Information, Monitoring and Evaluation System
(SIMONI by its Spanish acronym) which will be used by ICBF to
successfully follow and track the progress of the projects'
participants.

Since 2001, IOM and ICBF, with funding from the governments of
Canada and the United States, have directly assisted 3,410
ex-combatant minors and have reached more than 26,000 children and
adolescents, parents and teachers throughout Colombia through
prevention and information activities.

The programme provides medical care, psychosocial support,
information on prevention of HIV/AIDS, educational opportunities,
vocational training, family tracing and reunification, and
involvement in cultural and recreational activities, as well as
support to return to civilian life.

The children usually begin their relationship with the illegal
armed groups by visiting their clandestine and isolated camps to
ask for food and to perform small jobs. Slowly, they are given more
responsibilities and end up actively participating in all
activities, including those requiring the use of weapons.

The ex-combatant minors assisted by IOM and ICBF have confirmed
that they joined the illegal armed groups for a series of reasons:
promise of money, in search of respect and recognition, adventure,
simple frustration, lack of educational opportunities, to avenge
the death of a family member, or to escape violence and sexual
abuse and other problems at home. Others said they were deceived
and did not know what they were getting into.

For more information please contact:

Jorge Andres Gallo

IOM Colombia

Tel: +57.1.594.6410 Ext. 142

Mobile: + 311.561.9495

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