Photo Credit: Refugees International
02/15/2007

Four years ago, fifty families from various communities in southern Bolivar settled along this river in Tierra Alta after fleeing widespread violence in that part of the state. They have no ownership of their land here, and have all built their own houses. However, the land is tenuously situated – this river floods the community three to four times a year and destroys dozens of homes each time. The community does receive one government service – a water tap that provides clean water. But that water is limited, so the three hundred people here regularly use the river to bathe and do laundry. Sanitation is non-existent in the community, and they have designated a field on the outskirts of the settlement as the bathrooms. Despite the difficult living conditions here, none of the families will consider returning home for security reasons. Instead, the community is asking for official titles to the land they now occupy.