The Effects of Internal Displacement on Host Communities

During the many years of conflict in Colombia, internal displacement has been dominated
by movements of populations from rural areas, smaller cities and towns across the country to large cities, particularly to the capital city, Bogotá. Upon arrival, displaced persons typically reside in peripheral and poor areas of these urban centers. Here they experience harsh living conditions and limited economic opportunity alongside
host communities who have previously settled there.

This study was based on focus groups composed of internally displaced persons (IDPs)
and host communities in the localities of Suba and Ciudad Bolívar in Bogotá, which both
have large IDP populations, as well as interviews with state officials and members of aid
and outreach organizations working in the area.