Displacement due to violence in Colombia:: A household-level analysis

The determinants of displacement at the household level were identified using rigorous statistical analysis. Focus was on the case of Colombia. Household-level surveys were used to estimate a random utility model of displacement. A total of 200 household interviews were conducted in three major receptor cities: Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena. The survey included a wide variety of questions on sociodemographic characteristics, living conditions, access to support and current needs among others. The very important role of violence and perceptions of insecurity in motivating displacement was confirmed. Households with larger landholdings and those with female household heads were found to carry a higher risk of being the target of threats. Furthermore, economic incentives were observed to play a role for households' displacement decisions even in a context of violence but that the impact of economic incentives is less strong where violence levels are high.