In January of this year Colombia began to implement the Victims and Land
Restitution Law, which was signed by President Juan Manuel Santos in
June of 2011. The law seeks to rebuild confidence between the government
and victims of country’s internal armed conflict, including nearly 4
million registered internally displaced persons (IDPs). The new law
calls for replacing the main institutions that for years have conducted
registration, provided humanitarian aid, and coordinated government
services and benefits for IDPs. However, the transition to the new
system has been slow, and recently displaced people and urban IDPs – who
have long felt abandoned by the state – are especially at risk of
slipping through the cracks.
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A road out of Barrio 3 de Julio. Community members said that the road is impassible when it rains. Heavy downpours flood houses with raw sewage. The IDPs RI spoke to said they can’t ever go home; they want help rebuilding their lives and local communities