The World's Refugee Crisis: an Overview of Conflicts, Life in Camps
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The World’s Refugee Crisis: An Overview of Conflicts, Life in Camps, and Future Perspectives Helena Frischtak MS4 February 2017 Introduction all intents and purposes, incarcerated in a state of temporariness.10 “The paradox of permanent temporariness.” 1 The Cambridge Dictionary defines a ‘refugee camp’ to be “a place where people who have escaped their own country can live, usually in bad conditions and only expecting to stay for a limited time.” 4 Unfortunately, the “limited time” clause no longer applies. Not only are refugees confined to camps Immediately after the Second World War, most for longer and longer, but there are ever displaced people were re-settled within seven growing numbers of refugees facing the years. Today, in contrast, refugee camps house prospect of life in a camp. The number of families for entire generations.7 The average displaced people has more than tripled in the stay in a refugee camp is seventeen years.2 The last ten years.10 There are more refugees today United Nations High Commission for Refugees than any other moment in time since the (UNHCR) classifies people living in camps for Second World War2 – an estimated 65 million.1 over five years as “P.R.S.”: Protracted Refugee About 80% of these are women or children.8 Situation(s). Most refugees in the world are Many fascinating and essential aspects PRS.7 In no sense can life in situations such as of life in a refugee camp remain poorly these be classified as ‘normal’. Refugees are, for understood in the developed world. In large part, this is due to a paucity of information 1 surrounding camp infrastructure and they left their homeland – be it conflict, healthcare. On the other hand, many narratives persecution, environmental disaster, or dire have been written about the day-to-day life of economic circumstance.6 Settlement patterns refugees. Newspaper and magazine articles, in are also variable: refugees may migrate to a particular, offer a brief glimpse into tangible camp that has been established organically by aspects of camp life, and in profiling individual previous refugees, or they may migrate to a refugees, families and camps, allow the reader camp that was created and planned by relief to gain a sense of the issues facing them before agencies (such as UNHCR).5 The former is far they find their way to the U.S. more common. In the latter case, however, It would be impossible, given the length when refugee camps are implemented a priori, and time constraints of this essay, to cover all site planning can occur: public facilities and refugee crises, let alone all camps. Therefore, shelters can be logically organized in space, and this essay will focus on three refugee the camp location can be chosen to be free of populations. The Syrian refugee crisis has mines, distant from war zones, with access to overwhelmed the world’s media, and due to the water, large enough to accommodate 30 square high quality information and reporting already meters per person, and with truck accessibility available, is an important population to throughout the year.5 consider. In contrast, Bhutanese do not Camps are also governed by different represent the largest refugee population in the agencies. About 34 million displaced people in world, and have significant less media 125 different countries live in camps governed attention, but have re-settled in the U.S. en by the UNHCR.8 Other camps are controlled by masse. Finally, the Congolese, while less the host country’s government or military (such numerous than other African refugee as Kilis, in Turkey), and yet others are self- populations such as the Somalis, are a strong governed, such as Yida, in South Sudan presence at our clinic in Charlottesville. (housing Sudanese refugees).4 The largest refugee camps in the world are in Kenya, Jordan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Refugee Camps Rwanda, Pakistan, Turkey, and India. “Every refugee situation is specific to Populations for these camps range from itself.” 5 60,000-185,000 (Table 1). Together, the fifty largest camps in the world house over 1.9 “This isn’t living; it’s just existing.” 10 8 million people. Refugee populations vary significantly depending on the underlying reason for which 2 Table 1: The 10 Largest Refugee Camps in the World (Source: UNHCR http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2016/refugee-camps/) Camp Country Refugee Year Established Population Nationality Kakuma Kenya South Sudanese and 1992 185,000 Somali Hagadera* Kenya Somali 1992 106,000 Dagahaley* Kenya Somali 1992 87,000 Ifo* Kenya Somali 1992 84,000 Zaatari Jordan Syrian 1992 78,000 Yida South Sudan Sudanese 2012 70,000 Kutumba Tanzania Burundi 1972 66,000 Panian Pakistan Afghani 2008 62,000 Mishamo Tanzania Burundi 2014 62,000 * Camps 2,3, and 4 on the list are all part of Dadaab refugee complex Several factors play a role in the kind of These all-too-real reminders of world conflict camp refugees are re-settled in. The number of thus remain out of sight, and out of mind.10 displaced persons seeking refuge, the cultural and ethnic ties between the host country and Syrian Refugee Crisis the refugees, the host country’s capacity to absorb new people, and the military and “Camps keep refugees alive, but they political circumstances of the host country all prevent them from living.”10 contribute.5 Most camps today are in developing countries. Some argue that funding “We are trying to keep busy. But it is nothing like a home.” 1 large-scale camps in these countries is a deliberate move by Western Europe, in order to keep displaced people outside its borders. 3 The Syrian conflict began in 2011 and met to discuss how to absorb the millions of alone has resulted in the largest refugee crisis Syrian refugees pouring into neighboring since World War II. In April 2011, in the town countries. Three options were discussed: of Daraa, a few 13-year-old boys painted anti- voluntary repatriation; incorporation with government graffiti on the school wall. The citizenship into the country of refuge; and government responded by torturing them, and third-country resettlement. With repatriation thousands took to the street to protest. Bashar to a country in chaos being out of the question, Al-Assad, a British-trained physician who and with resistance from politicians in Jordan inherited the regime from his dictator father, and Lebanon to the second option, Syrians were was expected to take a more moderate forced to seek resettlement in whatever other approach to leadership. Yet he responded to the country would accept them.7 protests with violent crackdowns. This, in turn, compelled more civilians to protest for Camp 1: Zaatari, Jordan democracy, and demand Bashar Al Assad’s resignation. Opposition supporters, including “We design refugee camps; several in the military, took up arms and a refugees build cities.” 9 bloody conflict ensued. Eventually, what started as an uprising for democracy disintegrated into Zaatari, located in Jordan, has a a mess of competing rebel groups, terrorists population of 78,000 and has become an and jihadists, and international influence, all informal but bustling metropolis.9 It contains fighting for power at the expense of a quarter of 14,000 households, 10,000 sewage pots and a million civilian lives.26, 27 private toilets, 3000 washing machines, and DID YOU KNOW? Even under the Obama 150 private gardens. The camp is served by administration, the U.S. was slow to nine schools, two hospitals, a circus academy, a accept Syrian refugees. Between 2008 travel agency for airport pick-ups, a soccer and 2013, only 50 refugees were allowed league, a pizza delivery service, homemade ice- into the U.S. each year. Between Oct 2015 cream shops, pet stores, flower shops, and July 2016, however, more than 7,500 rotisserie chicken take-out, and three thousand refugees resettled to the United States. 16 other shops.6,9 It boasts a main commercial Syria had a pre-war population of 22 street, called Champs Elysee, and different million, but as of December 2015, 5 million of gentrifying neighborhoods. these had sought refuge in Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Even from pictures it is obvious that Lebanon and Egypt.16 Over a year into the this camp is unique: it has character and conflict, high-ranking officials from the UNHCR identity. Zaatari has been called “the most fascinating project on Earth when it comes to 4 the development of camps” by a UN official.9 the rest. Women in Zaatari have access to birth With its “populist urban logic” and control and family planning services.16 Almost opportunities for social mobility, it has been half of children and women of child-bearing age compared to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. 9 in Zaatari are anemic. While a negligible Most importantly, its grounds-up identity gives amount of children are acutely malnourished, refugees a sense of ownership of their 17% of children in the camp suffer from community.9 chronic malnutrition (stunting).16 Camp 2: Kilis, Turkey “What is startling about Kilis is how little it resembles the refugee camp of our imagination.” 7 “It’s the nicest refugee camp in the Zaatari Camp. Source: Kilis Camp, in Turkey, could not be http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/safeway- world!” 7 supermarket-opens-zaatari-refugee-camp’ more different than Zaatari. While Jordanian camps have the reputation of being chaotic, Despite all of this, Zaatari can also feel poorly supplied, with thriving black markets like a prison. The camp has 24-7 surveillance by (where donated goods are stolen then sold for the Jordanian army, and authorization is profit), Turkish camps are well organized and 11 required to enter or exit the camp.