Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/es/op%C3%A9rations/colombia

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Country Profile.

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Climate variability significantly impacts transport throughout the year, the poor road infrastructure is physically affected by unevenness in asphalt surface, landslides, floods, etc. causing permanent or temporary closures (Primary, and secondary roads).

The most affected departments: Atlántico, Boyacá, Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Santander and Norte de Santander. When the Rainy periods are extended, damage to roads accumulates and increase, so, government entities cannot optimize management, and immediate attention to disaster.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

For information on Colombia Government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Colombia Government Contact List.

National Unit for Disaster Risk Management – UNGRD, is the coordinating institution of the State's response to the calamity; chaired by the President of the Republic.

Focus point: The UNGRD promotes risk management cycle through the following steps:

Risk knowledge; Risk Communication; Early Warning System; Strengthen response capabilities; Mitigation and adaptation; Supporting the implementation of the national plan of risk management at local level.

Emergency response programs: The UNGRD is responsible for coordinate the operational response for emergency of natural, social or structural, through the following lines:

recovery and reconstruction, productive projects, machinery and materials, telecommunications support, water and sanitation, temporary accommodation and emergency humanitarian aid.

The National Army and National Police, in coordination with staff from the National Disaster Relief, civil authorities and other state agencies involved in the Prevention and Attention to Disasters.

Adopt measures military control of the area, in order to prevent illegal acts that could disturb public order. Its mission is to protect the civilian population and provide security for economic sectors and vital points; it also facilitates the evacuation plans of the civilian population in the event of a crisis situation by natural disaster or terrorist attack occur.

Crisis response: Through technical information issued by the Institute of Environmental Studies - IDEAM, Google search engine will emit a series of alerts to be geo-referenced and supplemented with the data generated by the UNGR, in order to alert users in real time and increase their knowledge of hazardous events.

For information on Colombia Government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Colombia Government Contact List.

National Emergency Management for Waters and Sanitation Organization Chart

 

The main authority for emergencies in Colombia is the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). Under UNGRD are different units of public services superintendence, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the national fire system, the Colombian civil defense, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Colombian Red Cross, and engineer battalions. In departmental order are army brigades, local sectional Red Cross chapters, local fire departments, local Colombian civil defense units, the Departmental Council for Disaster Risk Management, local health secretaries, regional autonomous corporations, and services public providers companies. In municipal order are, army battalions, municipal sections of the Red Cross, the Municipal Council for Disaster Risk Management, the municipal Colombian Civil Defense, fire brigades, health secretaries, and services public providers companies. 

EMERGENCY RESPONSE FLOW CHART – INFORMATION NETWORK

To respond to water and sanitation needs are four important items. First are emergency plants with water storage tanks with capacities for 10,000 up to 20,000 liters. Second are sanitation units equipped with machinery, equipment, chemical latrines, construction materials, and technical personnel. Third are vehicles for transporting water from the UNGRD, Army, Police, Fire Brigades, and Colombian civil defense units. Last is the rehabilitation phase developing technical assessments and damage assessment and needs analysis.

RESPONSE FLOW CHART

Risk management in Colombia, according to Law 1523 of 2012 is a social process aimed at the formulation, execution, monitoring and evaluation of policies, strategies, plans, programs, regulations, instruments, measures and permanent actions for the knowledge and reduction risk and disaster management.

RESPONSE FLOW CHART 

EMERGENCY HANDLING PROCESS – UNGRD*

*National Unit for Disaster Risk Management

The logistics in operations includes all aspects of support to the lines of intervention required in emergency care, framed in care within of the first 72 hours and in the Specific Recovery Action Plan, according to the Declaration of Public Calamity of the affected Municipality and / or Department. The four important phases are emergency response, supply management, supply control systems (inventory management), and storage and distribution.

 

RESPONSE FLOW CHART FOR LIFE ENDANGERING EVENTS

 

RESPONSE FLOW CHART

EMERGENCY HANDLING PROCESS – UNGRD*

*National Unit for Disaster Risk Management

 

ASSESTEMENT OF VICTIMS CENSUS

National Unit for Disaster Risk Management – UNGRD, is the coordinating institution of the State's response to the calamity; chaired by the President of the Republic.

Focus point: The UNGRD promotes risk management cycle through the following steps:

Risk knowledge; Risk Communication; Early Warning System; Strengthen response capabilities; Mitigation and adaptation; Supporting the implementation of the national plan of risk management at local level.

Emergency response programs: The UNGRD is responsible for coordinate the operational response for emergency of natural, social or structural, through the following lines:

recovery and reconstruction, productive projects, machinery and materials, telecommunications support, water and sanitation, temporary accommodation and emergency humanitarian aid.

The National Army and National Police, in coordination with staff from the National Disaster Relief, civil authorities and other state agencies involved in the Prevention and Attention to Disasters.

Adopt measures military control of the area, in order to prevent illegal acts that could disturb public order. Its mission is to protect the civilian population and provide security for economic sectors and vital points; it also facilitates the evacuation plans of the civilian population in the event of a crisis situation by natural disaster or terrorist attack occur.

Crisis response: Through technical information issued by the Institute of Environmental Studies - IDEAM, Google search engine will emit a series of alerts to be geo-referenced and supplemented with the data generated by the UNGR, in order to alert users in real time and increase their knowledge of hazardous events.

For information on Colombia Government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Colombia Government Contact List.

Humanitarian Community

Humanitarian coordination is provided under Resolution 46/182 of the United Nations General Assembly (19 December of 1991), humanitarian action should be guided by a common strategy in each country where have the presence of Humanitarian Coordinator.

The Humanitarian Country Team (In Spanish: Equip Humanitarian País - EHP), under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator, is the forum for coordinating the international humanitarian community (UN agencies, International NGO's and Donors) defined internationally by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee – IASC.

The EHP seeks to support and supplement the response to emergencies caused by conflict and natural disasters, with emphasis in areas of difficult access, and affected populations; must ensure that organizations of the international community, implement coordinated actions and humanitarian assistance is timely and predictable, with a focus on rights, gender and contribute to the development of sustainable solutions.

There are currently five active clusters: Protection, Health, Shelter, Water – Sanitation, Food and Nutrition Security; Education in Emergencies works as a sector where there is a strong coordination with the Ministry of Education through the National Roundtable for Education in Emergencies, Gender and Early Recovery. There is also a working subgroup on mine action, as part of the Protection Cluster.

For information on Colombia humanitarian contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Colombia Humanitarian Agency Contact List.

Duties and Tax Exemption

Emergency Response

The Congress of Colombia by Act 1523 of 2012, adopts the policy of disaster risk management and establishes the National System for Risk Management, which directs and organizes all entities involved and determinates the kind of disaster: may be local, regional or national, and may be natural or public disaster. And it is the duty of the President of the Republic, to decree the emergency. Depending on the necessity, the government request international assistance, the National System for Risk Management, active crisis room and this at the same time the International Operating Committee, which directs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Colombian Red Cross, in this committee the sectors related to foreign trade are involved.

The customs procedure related to urgent and emergency deliveries, and direct action with the customs authorities, is regulated by Decree 2685 of 1999, Article 11 literally 12 Article 204 and Article 391 and its amendments.

 

 

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

The Colombian Customs Regulations is determined on the Customs Charter, defined by Decree 1165 of July the 2^nd 2019.

Regarding the importation of donated goods, any person or entity may make donations to public entities, NGOs, Legal entities or Natural Persons. These donations will have the procedure according to the customs legislation, without prejudice to accredit and where applicable, the certifications required by other authorities as a precondition for importation.

Depending on their use or destination, donations can be exempted from customs duties for which they must comply with the indicated conditions:

• Exemption from customs duties: Decree 255 of 1992, Article 7, Letter a) the goods donated by individuals or corporations, national or foreign, to the Nation or entities referred in the Article 2 of Decree 2184 of 1990.
• It is important to note that in the Article 9 Decree 255 of 1992, other donated commodities are listed but they are not exempted from customs duties for this concept, but by, the kind of beneficiaries or their destination.
• Exemption from Added Value Tax – IVA: Tax Code, Article 480: Are excluded from IVA, imports of goods and equipment for: Destined for sport, used for health, to the scientific and technological investigation, goods donated for government agencies or nonprofit organizations by individuals or corporations, national or foreign, if they obtain favorable rating in the Committee on Non-Profit Entities.
• Also, be excluded from IVA the imports of goods and equipment, for national security bound for the security forces; the importation of goods and equipment that are made in development agreements, treated, International and interagency agreements, or cooperation projects, donated to the National Government or public entities at the national level by natural or legal persons, multilateral agencies and foreign governments.
• Exemption from taxes, fees or contributions: Law 788 of 2002, Article 96: Exemption for donations from governments or foreign entities, regulated by Decree 540 of 2004.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements 

Customs Clearance

General Information 

 

Transit Regime

The customs transit is governed by Decree 2685 of 1999, Title VIII, Chapter I; it is the regime that allows the inland transport of domestic goods or foreign origin under customs control, from one customs office to another located in the national customs territory.

May only be authorized for goods which are entered or endorse to the nation, territorial entities, and decentralized entities, to a user of free zone, to a holder of a private warehouse or to a permanent customs user. In accordance with the Article 113 of Decree 1165 of 2019, once the goods be discharged and without having entered to the deposit, it shall request and authorize the customs transit mode where appropriate.

In this regime can be given transit modalities, cabotage and transshipment; Cabotage: It is the mode of the transit system that regulates the transportation of goods under customs control, whose circulation is restricted by water or air between two (2) ports or airports authorized within the national customs territory. And transshipment: It is the mode of transit, which regulates the transfer of goods from the mode of transport used for arrival in the national customs territory, to another that departure to foreign country, within a Customs and under its control without customs duties are caused.

It is permitted the transit for goods to be subjected to: Import for processing and assembly, Temporary admission for active perfecting capital goods, Temporary importation developing Special Systems of Import – Export or Temporary import for industrial processing.

Transit operations are carried only, on vehicles of registered companies and previously authorized by Customs. Escort the goods are not mandatory but depending on the areas where are going to travel is recommended. All transit operation should be covered with the warranty by the declarant to support the payment of customs duties and penalties, and the warranty for completion of the modality this one by the carrier.

Customs transit mode ends with:

1. The delivery of cargo to the deposit or to the Free Zone Operator, accordingly, who receives from the carrier the Customs Transit Declaration shall order the discharge and confront the quantity, weight and condition of the packages with the document.
2. The order of completion of the modality issued by the Customs Office, for finding an irregular situation or serious indications which could undermine the fiscal interest or evading compliance with customs requirements.
3. The destruction or total loss of cargo, according to Article 446 of Decree 1165 of 2019.
4. When for reasons of force majeure, Customs authorize the finalization of the modality, in accordance with the regulations for the purpose by the DIAN.

The DIAN may prohibit or restrict the customs transit of goods, for public, health, zoo sanitary and phytosanitary or environmental safety. According to the request given by the competent authorities, or when for control reasons is required.

Customs Duties and Tax Exemption

4.1 Colombia Government Contact List

Emergency Response

The Congress of Colombia by Act 1523 of 2012, adopts the policy of disaster risk management and establishes the National System for Risk Management, which directs and organizes all entities involved and determinates the kind of disaster: may be local, regional or national, and may be natural or public disaster. And it is the duty of the President of the Republic, to decree the emergency. Depending on the necessity, the government request international assistance, the National System for Risk Management, active crisis room and this at the same time the International Operating Committee, which directs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Colombian Red Cross, in this committee the sectors related to foreign trade are involved.

The customs procedure related to urgent and emergency deliveries, and direct action with the customs authorities, is regulated by Decree 2685 of 1999, Article 11 literally 12 Article 204 and Article 391 and its amendments.

  

 

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

The Colombian Customs Regulations is determined on the Customs Charter, defined by Decree 1165 of July the 2^nd 2019.

Regarding the importation of donated goods, any person or entity may make donations to public entities, NGOs, Legal entities or Natural Persons. These donations will have the procedure according to the customs legislation, without prejudice to accredit and where applicable, the certifications required by other authorities as a precondition for importation.

Depending on their use or destination, donations can be exempted from customs duties for which they must comply with the indicated conditions:

• Exemption from customs duties: Decree 255 of 1992, Article 7, Letter a) the goods donated by individuals or corporations, national or foreign, to the Nation or entities referred in the Article 2 of Decree 2184 of 1990.
• It is important to note that in the Article 9 Decree 255 of 1992, other donated commodities are listed but they are not exempted from customs duties for this concept, but by, the kind of beneficiaries or their destination.
• Exemption from Added Value Tax – IVA: Tax Code, Article 480: Are excluded from IVA, imports of goods and equipment for: Destined for sport, used for health, to the scientific and technological investigation, goods donated for government agencies or nonprofit organizations by individuals or corporations, national or foreign, if they obtain favorable rating in the Committee on Non-Profit Entities.
• Also, be excluded from IVA the imports of goods and equipment, for national security bound for the security forces; the importation of goods and equipment that are made in development agreements, treated, International and interagency agreements, or cooperation projects, donated to the National Government or public entities at the national level by natural or legal persons, multilateral agencies and foreign governments.
• Exemption from taxes, fees or contributions: Law 788 of 2002, Article 96: Exemption for donations from governments or foreign entities, regulated by Decree 540 of 2004.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements 

Customs Clearance

General Information 

 

Transit Regime

The customs transit is governed by Decree 2685 of 1999, Title VIII, Chapter I; it is the regime that allows the inland transport of domestic goods or foreign origin under customs control, from one customs office to another located in the national customs territory.

May only be authorized for goods which are entered or endorse to the nation, territorial entities, and decentralized entities, to a user of free zone, to a holder of a private warehouse or to a permanent customs user. In accordance with the Article 113 of Decree 1165 of 2019, once the goods be discharged and without having entered to the deposit, it shall request and authorize the customs transit mode where appropriate.

In this regime can be given transit modalities, cabotage and transshipment; Cabotage: It is the mode of the transit system that regulates the transportation of goods under customs control, whose circulation is restricted by water or air between two (2) ports or airports authorized within the national customs territory. And transshipment: It is the mode of transit, which regulates the transfer of goods from the mode of transport used for arrival in the national customs territory, to another that departure to foreign country, within a Customs and under its control without customs duties are caused.

It is permitted the transit for goods to be subjected to: Import for processing and assembly, Temporary admission for active perfecting capital goods, Temporary importation developing Special Systems of Import – Export or Temporary import for industrial processing.

Transit operations are carried only, on vehicles of registered companies and previously authorized by Customs. Escort the goods are not mandatory but depending on the areas where are going to travel is recommended. All transit operation should be covered with the warranty by the declarant to support the payment of customs duties and penalties, and the warranty for completion of the modality this one by the carrier.

Customs transit mode ends with:

1. The delivery of cargo to the deposit or to the Free Zone Operator, accordingly, who receives from the carrier the Customs Transit Declaration shall order the discharge and confront the quantity, weight and condition of the packages with the document.
2. The order of completion of the modality issued by the Customs Office, for finding an irregular situation or serious indications which could undermine the fiscal interest or evading compliance with customs requirements.
3. The destruction or total loss of cargo, according to Article 446 of Decree 1165 of 2019.
4. When for reasons of force majeure, Customs authorize the finalization of the modality, in accordance with the regulations for the purpose by the DIAN.

The DIAN may prohibit or restrict the customs transit of goods, for public, health, zoo sanitary and phytosanitary or environmental safety. According to the request given by the competent authorities, or when for control reasons is required.