USAID CBJ FY 2002: Colombia

Summary: Forced displacement of Colombia's population has increased, particularly since 1994, as a result of the intensifying armed conflict. By some estimates 1.8 million Colombians have been forced to abandon their homes and possessions at one time or another over the past 15 years. The Government of Colombia (GOC) estimates that some 300,000 are currently displaced. The majority of these are the result of Colombia's ongoing conflict, where armed groups in Colombia have come to use population expulsions as an integral part of their strategies to position themselves territorially, militarily and politically. Moreover, as the GOC seeks to eradicate coca in the southern region of the country, displacement of the work force, particularly the coca pickers, is projected to increase.

In response to this humanitarian tragedy, USAID will provide non-emergency support to internally displaced persons (IDPs) and will work with municipal and departmental governments to help IDPs meet social service, transitional, and long-term needs. USAID will utilize a municipal and departmental-based approach, emphasizing the social, political, and economic incorporation of IDPs into mainstream Colombian society. Programs implemented at the local level will complement ongoing alternative development and municipal strengthening activities. USAID will also support local peace and community-based efforts to prevent the displacement of populations in vulnerable communities and to stabilize receptor communities. Moreover, USAID will work with IDPs in secondary cities to prevent further dislocation into already over-crowded cities where it is more difficult and more expensive to provide adequate services. Equally important, USAID will assist both IDPs and other vulnerable populations to avoid the creation of a privileged class and in an effort to minimize resentment by existing community residents.

The customers of USAID-funded initiatives will be both municipal and departmental governments. The ability of local governments to respond to this humanitarian crisis will be strengthened without affecting their current ability to meet the needs of other, often equally poor citizens. Thus, USAID will work with local governments to strengthen their ability to provide training and generate viable economic opportunities to improve the social and economic situation of IDPs and other vulnerable groups.

USAID will provide health assistance, register and enroll at-risk IDP children in school, and, as needed and in cooperation with other donors, will provide low-cost shelter options. USAID will also help to improve IDP access to reproductive health services and psycho-social counseling. These activities were already underway at the end of CY 2000. Some supplementary feeding for highly vulnerable populations is also planned.

USAID will provide vocational education and training, as well as support for income generation activities. These activities include small business development and community strengthening projects. The initiatives will be complimented by local infrastructure improvement projects such as health posts, schools, rural water and sanitation, which will help to increase the ability of communities to absorb potentially large numbers of IDPs. This will also positively impact the ability of communities to provide humanitarian and social services. Some food-for-work projects have been approved which will also fortify local infrastructure.

USAID will support increased political participation by IDPs at the local level on matters that affect them and work to ensure that dialogue on issues related to IDPs become more participatory and inclusive. USAID will also improve the ability of stakeholders at the local level to absorb IDPs without undue stress on local infrastructure and society. These activities will be tightly coordinated with USAID municipal development activities.

Key Results: Prior to obligation of funds made available under Plan Colombia, the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Office of Transition Initiatives, undertook similar activities through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Salesian Missions. These two organizations launched over 68 small community projects in Colombia, benefiting over 148,000 vulnerable people. Upon receipt of Plan Colombia funds, agreements were signed with five grantees and the GOC to implement the IDP program. Implementation of IDP activities has been outstanding and there is every indication that grantees will be able to continue to execute their respective programs successfully over the next several months. Even while establishing themselves legally in-country, USAID's five grantee partners have provided over $1 million in assistance, directly and indireclty benefiting over 100,000 IDPs and other vulnerable groups. Grantee implementing plans are open and flexible and designed to capitalize on targets of opportunity, and thus are self-adjusting as the projects are implemented.

Performance and Prospects: During FY 2001 and FY 2002, USAID will continue to work through U.S., local and international organizations to conduct programs in community strengthening, income generation and urban assistance. Over this two-year period, USAID will also maintain its efforts to provide schooling and psycho-social support to victims of forced displacement, as well as reproductive health programs to vulnerable populations. Equally important, in FY 2001, USAID will initiate child-solider rehabilitation initiatives.

With respect to the community strengthening grants, USAID will continue to work through the Pan American Development Foundation's (PADF) to strengthen credit programs, small business development, health, education, housing and other programs which improve IDP living conditions or enable them to return to their places of origin. Income-generating activities during FY 2001 and FY 2002 will continue to focus on developing small community projects in areas determined to be at risk of future displacement, as well as education programs and services, community stabilization, social communication and local promotion of peace and transitional housing initiatives. Urban assistance activities, implemented through World Vision, seek to provide food for work and long-term economic activities, primary health care and hygiene, shelter, sanitation, potable water, and primary education and will continue through FY 2002. Psycho-social attention will also continue to be provided to children displaced by violence and eradication efforts. Services include donations of school supplies to poor families as well as repair and expansion of schools receiving displaced students. Primary attention to the health needs of small children will also be maintained, including oral rehydration salts and vaccination campaigns. Reproductive health activities over this two-year period focus on providing necessary services to IDPs and receptor communities in 23 departments. This includes reproductive health and family planning consultations, gynecological examinations and prenatal care, cancer screenings, pregnancy tests and incidental treatment of non-sexual diseases.

Implementation will accelerate as grantees achieve economies of scale. By the end of FY 2001, it is expected that 100,000 individuals will receive direct or indirect assistance from USAID. By the end of FY 2002, USAID assistance is expected to benefit 248,000 individuals.

Possible Adjustments to Plans: Colombia's largest guerrilla group has declared recipients of Plan Colombia funding military targets. If it becomes widely known that USAID grantees are receiving Plan Colombia funding, this may adversely affect implementation, especially if guerrilla groups target USAID grantees and/or their projects. In response, grantees would in all likelihood choose to distance themselves from their field projects by conducting fewer site visits. This could slow implementation and negatively affect the achievement of planned results. To lessen the potential for disruption of this sort, USAID is taking steps now to protect the identity of its partners. Likewise, if the civil conflict were to suddenly intensify, grantees would also need to reduce their field presence, also slowing implementation. On the other hand, in the event of a successful peace program, implementation should accelerate.

Post-emergency assistance to IDPs is complicated by the uncertainty of their status. Many IDPs do not know how long their displacement will last or whether it will be permanent. This determination depends in part on security issues beyond their control. As a result, USAID's response will be flexible enough to accommodate change, sufficiently inclusive to capture the changing opinions of IDPs with regard to their options, and agile enough to recognize and seize feasible opportunities as they present themselves.

Other Donor Programs: Other donor programs provide only emergency assistance to IDPs. The International Committee of the Red Cross is the primary agency providing emergency assistance to IDPs in the field. The GOC's Social Solidarity Network is also providing limited emergency support in some situations. The U.S. Department of State and United Nations High Commission for Refugees plan to provide $10 million of emergency assistance to the displaced and institution-strengthening assistance to the GOC's entity charged with managing and coordinating policies and assistance programs to those displaced by violence. The World Food Programme and the European Union have also stated that they will provide emergency assistance to IDPs, but have not yet pledged specific dollar amounts. European Community Humanitarian Organization assistance for 2000 totaled $6.5 million among 13 grantee partners for emergency assistance.

Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Major community development and income-generation activities are being implemented by three grantees, including two U.S. organizations (PADF and World Vision) . Another Colombian NGO is providing psycho-social counseling for youth and support to primary school children; a fifth NGO is providing reproductive health assistance.

Colombia 514-009

U.S. Financing

(In thousands of dollars)

	Obligations		Expenditures		Unliquidated
Through September 30, 1999	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	INC (P.C.)	0	INC (P.C.)	0	INC (P.C.)
	0	INC	0	INC	0	INC
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Fiscal Year 2000	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD
	30,000	INC (P.C.)*	0	INC (P.C.)
	0	INC	0	INC
	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	DFA	0	DFA
Through September 30, 2000	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	30,000	INC (P.C.)*	0	INC (P.C.)	30,000	INC (P.C.)
	0	INC	0	INC	0	INC
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA
Prior Year Unobligated Funds	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	INC (P.C.)
	0	INC
	0	ESF
	0	DFA
Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	INC (P.C.)
	0	INC
	0	ESF
	0	DFA
Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001	0	DA
	0	CSD
	0	INC (P.C.)
	0	INC
	0	ESF
	0	DFA
			Future Obligations		Est. Total Cost
Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA	0	DA	0	DA	0	DA
	0	CSD	0	CSD	0	CSD
	0	INC (P.C.)	0	INC (P.C.)	30,000	INC (P.C.)
	15,000	INC	45,000	INC	60,000	INC
	0	ESF	0	ESF	0	ESF
	0	DFA	0	DFA	0	DFA

Colombia

Activity Data Sheet

Colombia 514-009

U.S. Financing