In the second semester of 2019, the Unit will carry out community works for the sustainability of the population returned or relocated throughout the country, among which are families from 11 Antioquia municipalities.

Since 2012, a total of 274,829 families displaced by the conflict returned to their territories of origin or relocated to other areas of Colombia with the support of the Victims Unit. In order to provide sustainability and better living conditions to these families, the Unit is implementing a strategy to support 204 municipalities with plans for returns and relocations already approved.

According to Yolman Osorio, national coordinator of Returns and Relocations, "40,000 million pesos will be invested in construction materials, inputs and endowments for works and projects in the investment lines on the 8 rights to overcome the situation of vulnerability caused by Forced displacement: health, education, identification, housing, income generation, psychosocial care, family reunification and food".

The official added that this strategy aims to ensure that "these returns are sustainable, strengthening the social and community infrastructure to improve the living conditions of this population affected by forced displacement".

To date, the mayoralties of 11 Antioquia municipalities presented projects to be executed in the second half of the year, among them, several prioritized for the post-conflict by the Development Programs with Territorial Approach (PDET), in compliance with the peace agreement between the Government and the Farc. Each locality will provide skilled and unskilled labor.

The municipalities in Antioquia are: Dabeiba, Cáceres, Caucasia, Urrao, San Rafael, San Carlos, Betulia, San Francisco, Carmen de Viboral, Yolombó, Abejorral and Concordia. Some of the projects formulated are for the provision, improvement or adaptation of schools, health centers, community halls, construction of plaques, home gardens, and productive agricultural, fish farming or silvopastoral projects.

As part of this strategy, psycho-social care was initiated in Dabeiba to rebuild the social fabric affected by the armed conflict and promote territorial roots and coexistence between the returned victims and the host communities.

Support for more returnees

Urrao is one of the beneficiary municipalities. Claudia Vargas, liaison of victims of the mayor, stressed that "this strengthening of the return plan will reach our communities with support to agricultural projects and endowments for schools and health posts in rural areas".

Thanks to better security conditions, this municipality has returned close to 5,000 families who suffered forced displacement due to the intimidation of illegal armed groups in the past.

In addition to supporting about 274,000 families for their return or relocation throughout the country, the Victims Unit also provided endowments (tools, seeds, animals) to 4,778 who returned to their home sites. And another 41,404 families benefited from the Families on Earth program.

(Fin/JCM/LMY)