Four Stories (out of 100 Million)

25 June 2022

When it comes to people who have been displaced by conflict, it is easy to get caught up in the sheer volume of people. According to the UNHCR, there is currently a record 100 million people who have become either refugees or internally displaced people (IDPs) due to conflict. 

However, it is important that we do not lose sight of the individuals and their stories. Here are four stories of people from Latin America who JRS has accompanied: 

Adriana Caro of Cúcuta, Colombia fled Bogotá after her partner was murdered by a criminal gang.
Evelio arrived in Cúcuta in 1997 because of the armed conflict in Colombia.
Cristo arrived in Cúcuta in 2015 when the Colombian internal armed conflict forced him to leave his hometown, an area just outside of El Carmen.

Maria is a 30-year-old mother of two young children. Her neighborhood in Honduras was controlled by a local gang that fights for control of its territory to engage in illegal activities like drug dealing, extortion, and hijackings. 

You can read all of their stories – and more – here and here. 

(All photos: Natalia Betancourt/Jesuit Refugee Service)