Colombia

GOAL has been operational in Colombia since 2019, directing its efforts toward a challenging context: The nation is grappling with one of the most severe humanitarian crises of the past decade. Over 9 million people have been affected by the armed conflict, nearly 3 million migrants find themselves in a precarious situation, and more than 1 million people have endured the consequences in the past year. Compounding this scenario is the rapid informal expansion of urban areas and the isolation of rural regions, factors that significantly hinder access for these populations to essential needs such as food, shelter and medical care.

What we do in Colombia

Emergency Response

Sustainable Livelihoods

Gender-based Violence

Supporting communities facing conflict, migration and natural disasters

GOAL is providing support for communities impacted by conflict, migration and natural disasters. In recent years, GOAL Colombia has addressed multiple humanitarian crises, assisting over 470,000 individuals through 15 emergency initiatives across sectors including protection, food security, shelter, livelihoods, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), health and disaster risk reduction.

As of 2026, GOAL is actively addressing a significant flood crisis in Córdoba, concentrating its efforts on facilitating local economic recovery. This dedication to tackling climate and social emergencies is underpinned by a robust history of support. From 2021 to 2025, GOAL supported over 45,000 people affected by strong winds, severe flooding, and armed conflict in Colombia, extending assistance to vulnerable communities in high-impact regions where the restoration of social cohesion for peace is crucial. With the support of the Start Network's Ready to Act programme and the Irish governments development initiative, Irish Aid, GOAL emphasises the direct provision of humanitarian aid.

Supporting Blue and Green economies

Additionally, in 2024, GOAL continued to implement the Resilience of the Blue Economy Programme to support longer-term solutions to the convergence of multiple problems. Armed conflict, climate-related disasters, and mass displacement collided, leaving millions of people in need of assistance, most acutely in rural and border regions. GOAL’s programming is implementing sustainable energy solutions in artisan fishing communities that rely massively on the ocean for their livelihoods.

Led by GOAL Colombia, in partnership with COLGAS and Fundación Capital, along with generous funding from Irish Aid and Kingspan, the Energy Transition in Small and Medium-Scale Fisheries project is introducing propane-fueled motors to artisan fishing communities in La Guajira. The initiative aims to reduce CO2 emissions and operational costs, enhancing both economic viability and environmental sustainability. This is just the beginning of a project that can be scaled up and has the potential to deliver significant benefits and impact across the region. Creating local communities that can persevere through and adapt to environmental and economic shocks is key to building sustainable livelihoods.

GOAL continues to implement gender-based violence (GBV) protection into our programming. During humanitarian disasters, displacement and the breakdown of social structures can lead to increased instances of GBV. GOAL teams conducted community workshops on GBV and held awareness sessions with community leaders, families, children, and girls to enhance protective measures.

As part of Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership (ICSP) “For a Better World” programme, funded by Irish Aid, GOAL is empowering women in Colombia by engaging both men and women. This initiative has created vital community spaces where workshops specifically tailored for each community are held on human rights, gender-based violence (GBV), the care economy, and women’s empowerment. In collaboration with HealthNet TPO, GOAL launched the “We Are Voice” campaign to raise awareness of GBV and promote its eradication through audiovisual content and workshops. The campaign has reached more than 15,000 users on Instagram and has had significant participation on Facebook and X (Twitter). GOAL Colombia is continuing to raise visibility and awareness of gender-based violence through this initiative.

Collaboration with local communities

The delivery of GOAL’s “From Crisis to Resilience” framework in Colombia addresses the needs and underlying causes of significant regional humanitarian crises associated with food security, health, rapid urban expansion, migration, and other abrupt emergencies instigated by earthquakes and extreme weather phenomena. By fostering sustainable livelihoods, GOAL’s initiatives collaborate with local communities to empower them and assist in the dignified and resilient reconstruction of their lives.

In 2025, GOAL's emergency preparedness initiatives supported over 400,000 people in Colombia by enhancing their resilience to future crises. This was achieved by refining early warning systems (EWS) for climate-related risks and strengthening the capabilities of Civil Defense response teams and other collaborative agencies.

In collaboration with the Irish Government, through Irish Aid, GOAL has supported over 1,400 families within local communities by fostering social cohesion and revitalizing their livelihoods through diverse productive initiatives. This five-year programme has enhanced the economic frameworks of ethnic groups whose primary income sources include artisanal fishing, handicrafts, and sheep and goat farming.

Since 2023, hundreds of fishers have engaged in Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership for A Better World (ICSP) programme, delivered by GOAL, which fosters sustainable livelihoods and food security for their families and communities. In a region historically impacted by armed conflict, these fishermen and women exemplify positive role models for younger generations, imparting ancestral fishing techniques and steering them away from violence. By securing a reliable food source, the ICSP empowers thousands of fishing families to advance in their recovery journey with dignity, resilience, and determination.

In this manner, the programme is converting local economies into pillars of long-term stability, illustrating how productive development can facilitate peace and emphasizing the role of communities in shaping their own futures. Throughout 2025, GOAL’s team in Colombia collaborated with local communities to secure and enhance the livelihoods of over 144,000 people.

GOAL, through humanitarian assistance, serves as a catalyst for recovery, fostering sustainable and inclusive development environments, bolstering economic capacities, and enhancing community governance leadership in peaceful territories.