Colombia: Schools continue to be caught in crossfire

“Schools must be places for learning, not violence. It's unacceptable that students are forced to lie on the floor and crawl to find a safe place to save their lives. Children should not suffer injuries or trauma that affects their ability to learn. The rules of war must be respected, and civilians in schools must not be caught in the crossfire,” said Giovanni Rizzo, NRC's country director in Colombia. 

The Safe Schools Declaration is a commitment to action. It affirms that students and educational personnel are civilians and should be protected from being targeted by armed actors.   

“Particularly in rural Colombia, many students navigate a perilous journey to and from school, facing the threat of crossfire, explosive devices, and forced recruitment. Enough is enough. The International Day to Protect Education from Attack is a stark reminder that schools must never be battlefields. We urge all armed actors to honour their responsibilities under international law and their commitments under the Safe Schools Declaration to protect every child's right to a safe education,” said Rizzo. 

In the country’s northeast, a local school was caught in crossfire between armed actors during a parade celebrating its 105th anniversary. Dozens of students and teachers were forced to seek shelter amidst the gunfire, a shocking event that underscores the constant threat armed violence poses to children. This is just one of more than 50 violent incidents recorded by NRC that have affected education in Colombia so far this year. 

The violence affecting schools is part of the wider crisis affecting Colombia. Over 1.5 million people were impacted by violence and conflict in the first half of 2025—more than four times the number in the same period last year. 

“The Government and the international community must prevent the armed conflict from worsening. All parties to the conflict must take every feasible precaution to avoid harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure, even in the midst of conflict. Schools must not be used for military purposes so they remain safe spaces, free from the presence of weapons and military personnel and a place children can feel able to learn,” said Rizzo. 

• Watch the footage of armed clashes where schools were caught in the crossfire in the northeastof the country.  

• Between January to June 2025, students, teachers and school workers were caught in the crossfire of 12 armed clashes in the six departments where NRC is present (Antioquia, Cauca, Choco, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, and Valle del Cauca.). This trend represents a continued threat to education, building on the 36 clashes in 2024, 26 in 2023, and 16 in 2022 recorded by NRC. 

• In the first half of 2025, there were 52 attacks on education in Colombia. In addition to 12 armed clashes, schools and students were affected by 40 more incidents involving explosives, direct attacks on students and teachers, and the military use and occupation of schools. These attacks directly impacted at least 9,459 people, according to data from NRC. 

• NRC's report (only available in Spanish) is not a comprehensive analysis of all attacks on education in Colombia. The data and information presented in this report only reflect the situation in the areas where NRC is present, and its categories of analysis are limited to those related to the Safe Schools Declaration. The Safe Schools Declaration, launched in 2015 by Norway and Argentina, is an intergovernmental commitment to protect students, teachers and schools from attack and military use during armed conflict. It also emphasizes the importance of continuing education in such situations. When children are out of school, they are more vulnerable to various risks, including recruitment by armed groups, child labour, exploitation, and abuse. Schools act as protective environments in armed conflict scenarios. 

• Colombia signed the Safe School Declaration in December 2022.  

• The International Day to Protect Education from Attack, designated by the United Nations General Assembly, raises awareness of the need to protect schools and universities from armed conflict. The day provides an opportunity to advocate for compliance with international humanitarian law and to urge all parties to armed conflicts to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. 

• According to OCHA, during the first half of 2025, over 1.5 million people were affected by violence and conflict in Colombia, more than four times the number of people affected during the same period the previous year. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:  

• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329  

• Ana Milena Ayala Sanchez, advocacy and communication officer in Colombia:  ana.ayala@nrc.no, +57 3232746021