COLOMBIA
CONSOLIDATED REPORT
FOOD NEEDS CASE STUDY
ON THE DISPLACED POPULATION OF COLOMBIA
JUNE 14, 2001
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I background 3
II summary of key FINDINGS 5
III general characteristics of the interviewed population 6
IV socioeconomic profile before and after displacement 8
VI productive activities before and after displacement 10
VI comparative profile of URBAN, SEMI-URBAN and RURAL displacement 11
VII critical moments of food insecurity 13
VIII socioeconomic profile of FEMALE HEADED HOUSEHOLDS (FHH) VERSUS
IX HOUSEHOLDS headed by both parents (MHH) 15
X coping strategies 16
XI coping strategies used by FHH and MHH 19
XII vulnerable groups 19
XIII objectively verifiable vulnerability indicators 20
aNNEX 1: METhODOLOGy 21
I BACKGROUND
Colombia is the site of the longest lasting armed conflict in Latin America to date. Since 1985 approximately 1.4 million Colombians have been displaced from their original communities. According to the US Committee for Refugees, Colombia has the third largest number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the world, after Sudan and Angola. Over 4 million hectares of land have been expropriated from the displaced, equal to 1/3 of the country’s arable land.
Cumulative Figures - Displacement in Colombia
YEAR / Number of Internally Displaced Persons1995 / 89,510
1996 / 181,000
1997 / 257,000
1998 / 308,000
1999 / 288,127
2000 / 317,000
Total / 1,440,637
Source: CODHES, 2001
During recent years conflict and violence have intensified in the nation, as armed groups continue battling for control of strategic regions. The conflict continues to force widespread displacement in the nation. It is estimated that just during the year 2000, between 124,187 (Social Solidarity Network - Red de Solidaridad Social) and 317,000 persons (CODHES) were displaced.
Displacement reflects the forced movement of populations from rural to urban and semi-urban areas, and triggers accelerated urbanization processes nationally. Most displacements are also characterized by being disperse and consisting of small family groups located in practically the entire national territory.
WFP is the food aid arm of the United Nations system. Food aid is one of the many instruments that can help to promote food security, which is defined as access by all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. The daily average requirement in an emergency setting is at least 2100 calories.
The Colombian government requested WFP to help promote and look for lasting solutions in order to enable this population to switch form relief to recovery. Since July 2000, WFP is providing food for 227,000 people over two years. The assistance is directed at help resettling displaced families, providing food for a short time while families open up land, build houses, and invest in training or other longer-term solutions. WFP also provides supplementary feeding to pre- school and school children.
In order to better understand the food security situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in areas where the World Food Program (WFP) is working in Colombia, WFP decided to conduct this Food Needs Assessment lead by consultant Monica Trujillo, WFP staff, and the Colombian Red de Solidaridad Social and the Instituto Colombiano Bienstar Familiar.
II SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
· Average kilocaloric intake following displacement is 1752Kcal/p/d, that is, below minimum standards.
· Families headed by women are also a highly vulnerable group among displaced families, in terms of all vulnerability indicators. Their food intake is 1755Kcal/p/d.
·In general, there is a higher degree of food insecurity among the displaced living in urban areas, as their expenditures increase considerably, especially for water, fuel and transportation. Therefore their food consumption is only 1694Kcal/p/d, lower than the food intake of semi-urban and rural displaced persons.
Most Vulnerable Groups / All Displaced/ Female Headed Households / Urban Displaced / Recommended
Average for Emergency Settings
Daily Calorie Intake / 1752 / 1755 / 1694 / 2100
· Comparatively, families who have been displaced between 4 and 12 months and those who have been displaced between 1 and 2 years are the most vulnerable, in terms of the number of resources in kind, income and daily expenditures.These indicators reveal that their precariousness is prolonged after the first 3 months, when they often receive food assistance.
- There is an alarming drop in the socio-economic status of families following displacement: they keep only 12% of their animal husbandry assets, receive only about 30% of the incomes they had before displacement and accumulate a debt of about $80,000 Colombian pesos ($40 USD)
· Agriculture was the main productive activity of the displaced before displacement.
· However, the principal economic activity of women prior to displacement (90%) was animal husbandry, followed by agricultural production in their gardens.
· After displacement, most men (56%) generate their income as day labourers and from informal trade.
· After displacement, most displaced women (42%) produce their income from some form of domestic labour, although only sporadically.
· Eighteen percent of displaced men and 57% of the women have neither job nor any source of income. It must be noted that a large majority of the displaced that manage to obtain some form of income are underemployed, working only a few days a month.
· Depletion of assets, indebtedness, reduced food consumption and consumption of cheaper foods constitute the four coping mechanisms most frequently used by the displaced in general terms. All bear direct impact on their level of food vulnerability and insecurity.
III GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERVIEWED POPULATION
A total of 76 displaced families were interviewed for this Assessment. The following table presents the general features of the interviewed population in the three regions/departments of Urabá, Bolívar and Sucre:
Characteristics of the Interviewed Population / Number / %Total number of displaced families interviewed / 76 / 100
Number of displaced persons represented / 532 / 100
Number of municipalities represented / 12 / 100
Average number of family members / 7
Number of FHH* interviewed / 23 / 30
No. of MHH* (couples) interviewed / 53 / 70
Number of families displaced between 4 and 12 months / 21 / 28%
Number of families displaced between 1 and 2 years / 17 / 22%
Number of families displaced between 2 and 4 years / 18 / 24%
Number of families displaced for over 4 years / 16 / 21%
Number of families displaced in urban areas / 23 / 30%
Number of families displaced in semi-urban areas / 37 / 49%
Number of families displaced in rural areas / 16 / 21%
*FHH = Female-headed households (single mothers)
*MHH = Male-headed households (both parents)
Methodology is described in Annex 1
IV SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILE BEFORE AND AFTER DISPLACEMENT
The socio-economic profile before and after displacement reveals the changes displaced families have had to face. The following table summarizes results.
Indicator / Before / After / Difference / %*Resources as number of animals in animal husbandry / 57 / 7 / 50 / 12%
Average income of males (pesos/d) / $8119 / $2578 / $5541 / 32%
Average income of females (pesos/d) / $3509 / $962 / $2547 / 27%
*Percentage difference compared to the situation prior to displacement
Analysis
In general there is a substantial reduction in the socio-economic status of families following displacement, in terms of all the indicators (resources, income, accumulated debt and kilocaloric intake).
Prior to displacement, families had an average of 57 animals in animal husbandry such as pigs, chickens, roosters, ducks, turkeys, etc. After displacement the average was only 7.
Average income is calculated based on salaried work and the earnings obtained from agricultural production and animal husbandry.The income of both males and females dropped substantially following displacement. On the average, displaced men earn 32% of the income earned prior to their displacement, and women 27%.It must be noted that pre-displacement income is just one component of the domestic economy, as it was additional to its own food production and consumption. The majority of the displaced are peasants who were dedicated to agriculture and animal husbandry on a small scale. Although production for some was at the subsistence level only, most obtained income from commercialising their surplus. If production destined for self-consumption were quantified, figures would reveal a much more stark and real reduction.
The income made by women was in general less than that of men, both before and after displacement. These figures also reflect national and global statistics on the income of men and women.
Daily expenditures refer mainly to expenditures for food, water, transportation, fuel, and basic non-food items such as toilet paper, sanitary napkins, soap, detergent, and toothpaste. For these daily expenditures the table above indicates that displaced families do not earn enough to meet their minimum needs. Daily expenditures are much higher than daily income. During displacement families loose their productive capacity and face the need to purchase in the marketplace everything they require to survive. Fruits, milk, eggs and basic grains, previously produced in abundance, can now be consumed only if they have the means to pay for them. Besides, there are additional expenditures, which did not exist in rural areas, such as for water, fuel and local transportation.
Indebtedness is clearly an important strategy in coping with displacement. Most IDPs have debts contracted in shops/grocery stores or with relatives and acquaintances. In most cases credit is used to buy food. Others owe tuition at the schools where their children are enrolled.
Although the average debt of displaced families as shown in the table is higher than Col $84,000, indebtedness ranges between $0 and $385,000.Although different types of credit were commonly used before displacement, they were regularly paid off during the harvest season, for example. Among displaced families debts accumulate over time. Critically vulnerable displaced persons accumulate debt and eventually exhaust credit possibilities. When some of them find themselves in this situation at a shop/grocery store, they start the process anew at other shops, eventually incurring debt with several of them.
Those with no debts indicated that the main reasons for this were lack of jobs and having no capacity to repay, as well as lack of credit opportunities due to the stigma associated with IDPs. Thus IDPs who are not in debt are not necessarily in a better situation --rather, they may not have access to credit and may therefore be in a situation of high vulnerability.
Kilocaloric intake has been estimated based on the principal foods consumed, especially beef, chicken or fish, yuca (manioc), potatoes, ñame and plantain, beans and rice, milk, oil, eggs and panela (hardened molasses). Thus kilocaloric intake does not fully reflect everything consumed (i.e., fruit juice and salads), but does provide a close estimate.
After displacement, there is a significant quality loss in the family diet. Before displacement most IDPs kept a more balanced diet, consisting generally of beef or chicken, rice, legumes, eggs, milk, yuca (manioc), ñame and plantain. In their own farms or plots they produced most of what they consumed, including fruits and herbs, eggs from their hens and milk from their cows.
With displacement there comes about a high intake of carbohydrates, especially yuca, rice and plantain. IDPs with the highest food insecurity consume only these products. Only those with greater economic means consume protein as in meat or legumes. Besides, “meat” generally means cattle bones or chicken innards used in soups. The principal and practically only legume consumed both before and after displacement is beans. Only 3 or 4 families reported having lentils.
V PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES BEFORE AND AFTER DISPLACEMENT
ProductiveActivity / Prior to Displacement / After Displacement
Women / Men / Women / Men
Agriculture / 75% / 90% / 6% / 32%
Animal husbandry / 90% / 41% / 23% / 15%
Mining / 10 / .08% / 0 / 0
Fishing / 0 / .08% / 0 / 10%
Lumbering / 0 / 15% / 0 / 20%
Informal sector commerce / 3% / 4% / 4% / 24%
Paid domestic work / 31 / 0 / 42% / 0
Unemployed* / N/A / N/A / 57% / 18%
Construction / 1 / 7%
*No source of income
Note 1: Some IDPs are engaged in more than one productive activity.
Analysis
The majority of the displaced were peasants dedicated to agricultural production and animal husbandry. In general many also owned their land, the size of which often exceeded 10 hectares per family.
Ninety percent of the men produced yuca, plantain, ñame, and rice and/or beans, depending on the region. Although some produced mainly for subsistence, most obtained income from their surplus production. Corn and tobacco, for example, were crops that generally produced additional income for the family.
Seventy five percent of the women were also dedicated to cultivating their gardens, where they produced hot peppers, tomatoes, onions and fruits, among others. From them they were able to supplement the family diet and also produce additional income. However, their main economic activity was animal husbandry, especially chickens and pigs.
After displacement, 32% of the men were engaged in some agricultural activity, especially working as day labourers. In most cases, however, work is temporary and sporadic.
As for the women, 42% sought one form of subsistence as domestic servants. Just as with the work done by men, however, this constituted only a temporary and sporadic source of income.
Twenty four percent of displaced men were dedicated to informal commerce, mainly selling tinto [Colombian black coffee], water and other products such as fish, so as to generate income. Among the women, only 4% was dedicated to informal commerce, generally selling prepared foods. The main challenge in terms of entering the informal commerce sector consisted in the lack of starting capital.
However, a significant number of IDPs are either un- or underemployed. Eighteen percent of displaced men and 57% of displaced women had neither jobs nor any source of income. Many of them depend on the help of relatives or the charity of neighbours to feed their families. For those in the majority who are able to get some type of job, either as day labourers in the informal commerce sector or as domestic servants, employment is only sporadic and is limited to a few days per month. In other words, they work only part time or less.