When Being Poor Co-exists with Dangers

Americas Now

In the Caribbean and Latin America, 1 out of every 5 people are living in slums. These slums are also often referred to as “informal settlements” within cities. For a poverty-stricken population, the low cost of living in these neighborhoods and the chance to make a home, outweigh the dangers and difficulties of living there. That is the case for many families in Colombia’s city of Cartagena, where, in the local informal settlements, many migrants have found a home away from the economic turmoil and violence they faced before. Even though these homes are at risk of flooding and the pitfalls of climate change, they remain. Our correspondent Michelle Begue has more.