UN expresses concern on environmental, social crisis in western Colombia

The UN envoy in Colombia expressed on Thursday concern at the critical situation resulted from a recent attack by rebels on a major pipeline that left some 200,000 people without drinking water.

"The environmental and social consequences of the attack are devastating to a population that for years suffered all kinds of impacts of the armed conflict, and that is among the poorest and most abandoned of Colombia. We are particularly concerned about the effects that will last for a long time," Fabrizio Hochschild, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the restive country, said in a statement.

"I urgently call on both parties in Havana to take steps to a de-escalation of the confrontation, in order to avoid further suffering to the civilian population," he said.

"Only a de-escalation will alleviate the suffering of the civilian population and regain the trust to the negotiations in Havana for a peace

agreement," the statement said.

A UN report published Thursday said that the largest attack on June 22 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on the trans-Andean oil pipeline has caused the spill of over 10 thousand barrels of oil to water streams in western Colombia and affected 7,000 fishermen families.

Hundreds of indigenous living nearby the populated rivers have respiratory problems, with children and women among the most suffering, it noted, adding that 70 percent of mangroves were affected.

The town of Tumaco has suffered for years poverty and pollution of its rivers for illegally extracted crude oil pipeline as well as aerial spraying of coca crops with glyphosate.

The UN report also said that such attacks have a negative

impact and "undermined" the public confidence in the peace process that is

underway between the government and the FARC in Havana, Cuba, seeking to

end the 50-year-long armed conflict in Colombia.

The UN provided support to the country to carry out actions to mitigate the crisis in Tumaco municipality. Endi