Refugee camp facts for kids

A refugee camp is a temporary place built to help people who have had to leave their homes. These people are called refugees. They might have fled their home country because of war or danger. Sometimes, camps are also for people who are displaced inside their own country.

Most refugees are looking for safety after escaping war. But some camps also help people who have moved because of environmental changes or to find better jobs. Many camps are very large, with over a hundred thousand people. In 2012, the average camp had about 11,400 people.

Governments, the United Nations (UN), and other groups like the International Committee of the Red Cross or NGOs usually build and run these camps. There are also unofficial camps, like Idomeni in Greece or the Calais jungle in France. In these places, refugees often don't get much help from governments or big organizations.

Refugee camps are usually set up quickly to meet basic human needs for a short time. They are not meant to be permanent homes. Host countries often don't allow things that would make a camp look too permanent. If refugees can't go back home, for example, because of a civil war, it can lead to a long-term problem.

The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) says that most refugees around the world do not live in camps. At the end of 2015, about 67% of refugees lived in private homes. This is partly because many Syrian refugees rent apartments in cities in the Middle East. About 25% of refugees lived in managed camps. In rural areas, about 56% of refugees lived in camps, but in cities, almost all (99%) lived in private homes. A small number of refugees also live in other types of temporary housing.

Even though many refugees live in cities, international aid groups still mostly focus on setting up and running refugee camps.

What Can You Find in a Refugee Camp?

The UNHCR suggests that each person in a camp should have about 45 square meters (about 484 square feet) of space. Within this area, you can usually find:

• An office to help organize services.
• Places to sleep, often tents or simple huts. The UNHCR suggests at least 3.5 square meters (about 38 square feet) of covered living space per person. Shelters should be at least 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) apart.
• Small gardens for families. The UNHCR suggests 15 square meters (about 161 square feet) per person for a garden plot.
• Hygiene facilities like washing areas and latrines or toilets. The UNHCR suggests one shower for every 50 people and one shared latrine for every 20 people. These should be no more than 50 meters (about 164 feet) from shelters and separated by gender.
• Places to get water. This might be water tanks filled by trucks or tap stands connected to boreholes. The UNHCR suggests 20 liters (about 5 gallons) of water per person per day and one tap stand for every 80 people, no more than 200 meters (about 656 feet) from homes.
• Clinics and hospitals. The UNHCR suggests one health center for every 20,000 people and one hospital for every 200,000 people.
• Places to get food. The UNHCR suggests one food distribution center for every 5,000 people.
• Communication tools, like radios. Some older camps even have their own radio stations.
• Security measures, like barriers and checkpoints, to protect people. Police stations might be outside the camp.
• Schools and training centers. The UNHCR suggests one school for every 5,000 people.
• Markets and shops. The UNHCR suggests one marketplace for every 20,000 people.

Sometimes, host governments might not allow schools or markets. This is to prevent refugees from staying permanently. Many camps also have:

• Cemeteries or places for waste disposal.
• Reception centers where refugees first arrive and register. These might be closer to the country's border.
• Churches or other places of worship.

Experts can use satellites and special computer systems (called GIS) to watch how camps grow and change over time.

Arriving at a Camp

Most new refugees walk long distances, sometimes up to 500 kilometers (about 310 miles). This journey can be dangerous because of wild animals or armed groups. Some refugees get help from the International Organization for Migration, while others use smugglers. Many new arrivals are very hungry and thirsty.

There can be long lines outside reception centers, and people might wait for up to two months. People outside the camp don't get official help. Sometimes, locals sell water or food at very high prices. Sadly, some refugees die while waiting.

Once inside the reception center, people wait for their refugee status to be approved. This usually takes about two weeks. Then, they are taken to the camp, often by bus. New arrivals are registered, fingerprinted, and interviewed. They also get health and nutrition checks. Those who are very sick or hungry get special care. Men and women receive separate advice to figure out what they need.

After registering, they get food, a ration card (which shows they are refugees), soap, water containers, kitchen supplies, sleeping mats, and plastic sheets to build shelters. Sometimes, they get tents or ready-made shelters. Leaders from the refugee community also help new arrivals.

Homes and Cleanliness

Families are given plots of land, for example, 10 by 12 meters (about 33 by 39 feet) for a family of four to seven people. Refugees sometimes build their own shelters using local materials. Aid groups might also provide materials or even ready-made homes.

Shelters are often very close together, and many families might share one home, so there isn't much privacy. Camps might have shared pit latrines for many households. Aid groups try to provide better sanitation. Families might build their own latrines. Sometimes, latrines are not kept clean enough, which can spread diseases. In some areas, there isn't much space for new latrines.

Each refugee is supposed to get about 20 liters (about 5 gallons) of water per day. But many have to live on much less. Many people might use one tap stand, even though the standard is one for every 80 people. Water drainage from bathrooms and kitchens can be poor, and garbage might not be properly disposed of. There might be few or no clean facilities for people with disabilities. Poor sanitation can lead to outbreaks of sickness, especially when latrines flood during the rainy season.

Food for Everyone

The World Food Programme (WFP) gives out food twice a month. It aims to provide 2,100 calories per person per day. Ideally, this food includes:

• About 9 ounces (255 grams) of whole grain (like maize or sorghum)
• About 7 ounces (198 grams) of milled grain (like wheat flour)
• 1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 tablespoons of pulses (like beans or lentils)

However, the food provided might not always fit cultural eating habits or family needs. The WFP often cannot provide all these items, so calories are given through whatever food is available, like only maize flour. Up to 90% of refugees sell some of their food to get cash. If a refugee loses their ration card, they cannot get food. In 2015, the WFP started using electronic vouchers.

Work and Money

Studies show that if enough aid is given, refugees can help boost the economies of the countries hosting them. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) wants to help refugees work and be productive. They encourage refugees to use their skills to help themselves and the host country.

However, countries hosting refugees often do not allow them to work legally. In many places, the only options are to work for a small payment with NGOs in the camp or to work illegally without any rights, often in bad conditions. In some camps, refugees start their own businesses. Some have even become successful. Those without jobs or family sending them money have to sell parts of their food rations to get cash.

The main markets in larger camps usually sell electronics, groceries, medicine, clothes, and services like restaurants, laundry, internet access, and repairs. Some traders buy food rations from refugees in small amounts and sell them in larger amounts outside the camp. Many refugees buy things in small packages because they don't have enough money for normal sizes, which often means paying a higher price. Refugees in camps use cash aid, vouchers, or community saving and lending groups to manage money.

Investing in energy solutions like diesel generators or solar kiosks can help create jobs and improve the economy in refugee communities.

How Camps Are Organized

The UNHCR uses specific words to describe how a refugee camp is set up. A camp has settlements, sectors, blocks, communities, and families. Sixteen families make up a community. Sixteen communities make up a block. Four blocks make a sector, and four sectors are called a settlement. A very large camp might have several settlements.

Each block chooses a community leader to represent them. In bigger camps, settlements and markets are often arranged by the nationalities, ethnic groups, or clans of the people living there, like in Dadaab and Kakuma camps.

Leaders and Rules

In camps where elections are held, chosen refugee community leaders are the main contact for both refugees and aid groups. They help solve problems and talk with refugees, the UNHCR, and other aid organizations. Refugees are expected to share their concerns or report problems through their community leaders.

In some camps, like Kakuma and Dadaab in Kenya, Somali refugees have been allowed to set up their own informal 'court' system. Community leaders and elders lead these courts.

Keeping Everyone Safe

Security in a refugee camp is usually the job of the host country's military or local police. The UNHCR provides legal protection for refugees, but not physical protection. However, local police or legal systems might not always handle crimes that happen inside camps. In many camps, refugees create their own patrols because police protection isn't enough.

Most camps are surrounded by fences. This is to protect the refugees, but also to stop them from moving freely or mixing with local people.

Sometimes, refugee camps have been used by armed groups to recruit, support, or train fighters. These groups might even use humanitarian aid to supply their troops. For example, Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand and Rwandan refugee camps in Zaire supported armed groups until they were destroyed by military forces.

Refugee camps can also be places where attacks happen, and aid workers have sometimes been taken hostage. The police can also be involved in attacks on refugees.

Moving Around

Once refugees are in a camp, they usually can't move freely around the country. They need special passes from the UNHCR and the host government. However, many refugees still travel between cities and camps, using their connections or technology to stay in touch. Sometimes, there are unofficial ways for refugees to move around. Many refugees in camps try to go to cities if they get the chance. Some even move between the camp and the city, or spend time in the camp and then elsewhere in the country with family. Refugee camps can be a safe place for people who go to cities or try to return home. Some refugees marry local citizens to avoid police rules about moving outside the camps.

How Long Do Camps Last?

Even though camps are meant to be temporary, some have been around for decades. Some Palestinian refugee camps have existed since 1948. Camps for Eritreans in Sudan have been there since 1968. The Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria started in 1975. Camps for Burmese people in Thailand have existed since 1986. Buduburam in Ghana opened in 1990, and Dadaab and Kakuma in Kenya opened in 1991 and 1992.

More than half of all refugees at the end of 2017 were in "protracted refugee situations." This means at least 25,000 people from one country have been refugees in another country for five or more years. The longer a camp exists, the less international funding it tends to get, which can affect human rights. Some camps even grow into permanent towns and merge with nearby communities, like Ain al-Hilweh in Lebanon.

People might stay in these camps for many years, even their whole lives, getting emergency food and medical help. To prevent this, the UNHCR suggests three main solutions:

• Going Home: When it's safe, refugees can return to their home countries through special programs.
• Staying in the Host Country: In some cases, refugees can become citizens of the country they fled to.
• Moving to a New Country: Sometimes, after several years, refugees might be offered a chance to move to a "third country." About 17 countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, regularly accept refugees from camps. The UNHCR works with these countries to help refugees settle in their new homes. In recent years, most refugees moving to new countries have come from places affected by wars, like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and the former Yugoslavia.

Well-Known Refugee Camps

The largest refugee settlements in the world are in Africa and Asia. For many years, the Dadaab complex in Kenya was the biggest. Then, Bidi Bidi in Uganda became the largest in 2017. In 2018, Bangladesh's Kutupalong refugee camp became the largest.

Some other notable camps include:

• Africa:

* Camps in Chad host refugees from the Central African Republic and Darfur in Sudan. * Buduburam in Ghana was home to Liberian refugees. * Kakuma in Kenya is one of the largest camps, hosting people from South Sudan. * Nyarugusu in Tanzania hosts refugees from the DRC and Burundi. * Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria have been open since 1976. * Camps in Uganda like Nakivale host refugees from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Asia:

* Mae La refugee camp in Thailand hosts many Burmese refugees. * Camps in Pakistan host Afghan refugees. * Camps in Bangladesh, like Kutupalong, host Rohingya people from Myanmar.

• Middle East:

* Camps for Syrian refugees are in Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey. * Palestinian refugee camps have existed since 1948 in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip. * Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan hosts many Syrian refugees.

• Europe:

* Cyprus internment camps (1946–1949) held Jewish refugees. * Lampedusa immigrant reception center in Italy helps refugees arriving by sea. * Moria and other camps on Greek islands have filled with migrants fleeing violence. * The Calais jungle in northern France was an unofficial camp.

Unofficial Refugee Settlements

Sometimes, people create their own refugee settlements that are not officially recognized by governments or the UNHCR. These informal camps offer shelter and services, but they also act as a way to protest and raise awareness.

For example, in Amsterdam, a group called "We are here" started setting up tents and using empty buildings for housing in 2012. In Brussels, Belgium, citizens and migrants built an informal camp in a park to help refugees who had nowhere to sleep. This camp also showed the government that more help was needed.

The "Jungle" in Calais, France, was an unofficial camp. Since it didn't get government support, volunteer groups helped with food, donations, shelters, and activities. Many of these volunteers were not professional aid workers. While they filled a big need, it also meant there was less official oversight. However, this volunteer work was also a form of civil disobedience, as helping undocumented migrants was against the law in France at the time.

Images for kids

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  Kiziba refugee camp in the west of Rwanda, 2014

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  Refugee camp in Beirut, c. 1920–25

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  Refugee camp (located in present-day eastern Congo-Kinshasa) for Rwandans following the Rwandan genocide of 1994

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  A camp in Guinea for refugees from Sierra Leone

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  Nahr el-Bared, Palestinian refugee camp in North Lebanon in 2005

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  Mitzpe Ramon, development camp for Jewish refugees, southern Israel, 1957

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  Market stalls at Nong Samet Refugee Camp in 1984

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  Refugee tent in Iraq (painted by artist Seb Toussaint)

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  Refugee tents at Arbat Transit Camp for Syrian Refugees in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, March 2014

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  Darfur refugee camp in Chad

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  Cyprus deportation camp (1946–49)

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  Aerial view of Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, July 18, 2013

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  Nong Samet Refugee Camp on the Thai-Cambodian border, May 1984

See also

In Spanish: Campo de refugiados para niños