Colombia

Colombia

HIAS communications officer Angela Garcia visits residents in the La Isla neighborhood in Barranquilla, Colombia 5 July, 2022. (Federico Rios Escobar for HIAS)
HIAS Colombia | Support For Refugees In Colombia | HIAS

Country Director

Camilo Ramírez

Office Locations

Arauca, Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, Cúcuta, Ipiales, Necoclí, Ocaña, Pasto, Pereira, Popayán, Santa Marta

Founded

2019

Staff Size

176

Contact

HIAS Colombia

Colombia hosts the largest population of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than 2.8 million residing in the country. In recent years, Colombia has also received around 845,000 returnees from Venezuela, many of whom had been living abroad for significant periods of time.

HIAS supports displaced people to rebuild their lives and reunite with family members in safety and freedom. HIAS Colombia focuses on supporting single women, women-headed households, survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), people with disabilities and serious medical conditions, and LGBTQ+ refugees.

HIAS Colombia works with Venezuelan refugees and migrants, Colombian returnees from Venezuela, internally displaced people, and host communities.

77,283

people benefitted from HIAS' services in Colombia between 2019 and 2023

Our Work in Colombia

HIAS focuses on the prevention of and response to GBV, community-based mental health and psychosocial support, economic inclusion, and protection actions including temporary housing and supplementary food support. Working closely with government institutions, partner organizations, the private sector, and refugee communities, HIAS Colombia promotes local integration and access to rights and services. HIAS operates with the support of the United States Government, AECID, Airbnb, Cadena, Caritas, ECHO, the Hilton Foundation, the Internet Society Foundation, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Uber, UNHCR Colombia, USAID-Laser Pulse, and Mackenzie Scott.

HIAS’ community-based mental health programs promote the well-being of individuals, families, and communities affected by crisis and conflict so they can heal and rebuild their lives.

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Our economic inclusion programs ensure that refugees have economic opportunities to earn sustainable income and start their lives anew.

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We work to protect the right of women, girls, and LGBTQ communities to access their full potential and live free from violence by supporting survivors, mitigating risks, and transforming beliefs that perpetuate GBV.

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HIAS’ community-based mental health programs promote the well-being of individuals, families, and communities affected by crisis and conflict so they can heal and rebuild their lives.

Learn More

Resources

Dec 18, 2023

Violencia basada en género: una problemática latente en mujeres refugiadas y migrantes en Colombia

Dec 18, 2023

Si bien la VBG hace parte de la realidad de mujeres y población LGTBIQ+ desde antes de salir de su país, los factores asociados al riesgo de sufrir otras VBG como la violencia sexual se incrementan a lo largo del recorrido realizado entre Venezuela y Colombia. Después de su llegada a Colombia, confluyen distintos factores de exclusión, discriminación y xenofobia.

Nov 02, 2023

Now I Know It’s Violence

Nov 02, 2023

This report explores the lessons learned during the implementation of the 'Positive Masculinities' curriculum module run by HIAS in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. This curriculum module was part of the gender-based violence prevention program in the Andean region, funded by the US Department of State.

Staff Spotlight

Meet Jael Goldschmidt, Colombia's Fundraising Expert

Jael Goldschmidt is the senior institutional development coordinator and a founding member of HIAS Colombia. In her current role, she supports the country office with identifying and applying for funding opportunities for programs. Here’s what she had to say about her time working with HIAS.

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Jael Goldschmidt at the HIAS Colombia office on February 6, 2024. (María Fernanda Hernández López/HIAS)

Partners

HIAS Colombia operates with the support of the United States Government, AECID, Airbnb, ECHO, Internet Society Foundation, UNHCR Colombia, and USAID-Laser Pulse.

HIAS’ services are free. If someone tries to charge you for services claiming they represent HIAS, please report it at our confidential email address: ethics@hias.org. HIAS has a zero-tolerance policy on fraud and corruption. 

For any other inquiries please email us at info@hias.org.

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