During the last decade the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has developed around 450 social and productive development projects in the Ecuadorian borders with countries such as Colombia and Peru.
Rogelio Bernal, head of the Mission of the IOM in Ecuador, said that these programs in addition to have benefited the Ecuadorian population in the border areas, has also favored the thousands of Colombian and Peruvian immigrants, and noted that the programs have been aimed at providing basic works of infrastructure and services to border populations, as drinking water sanitation, roads, bridges, irrigation systems and productive enterprises.
The official stressed that the integrated Municipal Development (Pidem) program, which will end next month, and which have benefited more than 680.000 people, has constructed 201 drinking water systems, 97 of sanitation, 8 of solid waste, 86 bridges, 35 roads and 23 irrigation systems.
Bernal also noted that there have been significant progress in regard to productive and social care in the border towns, where neighboring immigrants arrive, even though he acknowledged that there is “still a lot to do”.
