Since 16 January armed violence has erupted in the Catatumbo region (north-east Colombia) due to confrontations between the armed groups National Liberation Army (ELN in Spanish) and General Staff of Blocks and Front (EMBF in Spanish), a dissident group of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP in Spanish), resulting in reports of killings of dozens of civilians, massive forced displacements of thousands of people, and heightened risks of forced confinements, more killings and enforced disappearances. We call on the Colombian authorities to urgently take all necessary measures to protect civilians in the Catatumbo region, including human rights defenders.