IOM Colombia this week announced its support to a series of major
government initiatives to spur rural development and provide
assistance to internally displaced populations.

With USAID funds of over USD 700,000, IOM will help in the
design and implementation of income generating projects through the
Rural Women's Programme, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, which
will benefit women displaced by violence who are now returning to
their lands.

According to Colombia's Minister of Agriculture, Juan Camilo
Restrepo, "This programme aims to make women the main actors of the
agro-economy in Colombia."

And he added: "Women make up approximately 46 per cent of the
rural population, but only 30 per cent of them are formally
employed, compared with 70 per cent male.  This inequality is
due to the invisibility and informal nature of the work done by
rural women, rather than to the fact that they do not work. 
Their work is mostly unpaid and therefore their contributions are
not reflected in the overall economy."

Working with the Colombian Institute for Rural Development
(INCODER by its Spanish acronym), USAID and Acción Social,
the presidential agency in charge of fighting poverty and assisting
displaced populations, IOM will assist more than 8,000 persons from
displaced communities to structure projects that will allow them to
apply and access the funds earmarked by the central government for
rural development.

Special emphasis will be on those lands that will be returned
through the victims' reparation process which is expected to
distribute more than 50,000 hectares of land, and develop some
1,700 agricultural projects and 110 fishing initiatives.

IOM will also provide training to local authorities to ensure
they can support the communities as they start up their small
businesses.

IOM provided technical expertise and training to INCODER for the
concept and establishment of Assistance Centres for Displaced
Populations, located in 31 of the 32 urban areas in Colombia. 
The centres will provide support and advice to displaced farmers
returning to their lands.  They will also be able to apply for
grants, loans and financial help to implement productive projects
on their farms.

Alejandro Guidi, Deputy Chief of Mission of the IOM Mission in
Colombia said, "What we are witnessing today is a sign that the
Government's commitment to provide structural solutions to forced
displacement has evolved.  We have gone beyond meeting the
basic needs of the displaced and are now focusing on making the
return to their lands sustainable. "

More than three million Colombians have been displaced by
violence, leaving behind their homes and land.  Through its
Land Restitution and Rural Development policy, the Colombian
government hopes to hand back some two million hectares to the
victims of violence.

For more information, please contact:

Jorge Gallo

IOM Bogota

Tel: +57 1 639 7777

E-mail: "mailto:jgallo@iom.int">jgallo@iom.int