Photo Credit: Refugees International
11/23/2007

Because the displaced in Tumaco must rely on their own construction skills, the houses they are able to construct are often rudimentary at best. The use of plastic sheeting is routine, and the wood used for floors and walls is often what local lumber mills cast off as unusable. As a result, the displaced are constantly having to replace torn plastic and rotting wood to maintain their homes. With no proper water or sanitation systems, many rely on buckets, which they scatter around their homes, to collect rain water.