Refugee camp

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

A camp in Guinea for refugees from Sierra Leone.

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

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

A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Camps with over a hundred thousand people are common, but as of 2012 the average-sized camp housed around 11,400.^[1] Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, (such as the Red Cross) or NGOs. But there are also unofficial refugee camps, like Idomeni in Greece or the Calais jungle in France, where refugees are largely left without support of governments or international organisations.^[2]

Refugee camps generally develop in an impromptu fashion with the aim of meeting basic human needs for only a short time. Due to crowding and lack of infrastructure, some refugee camps can become unhygienic, leading to a high incidence of infectious diseases, including epidemics. If the return of refugees is prevented (often by civil war), a humanitarian crisis can result or continue. "Refugee camp" typically describes a settlement of people who have escaped war in their home country and have fled to a country of first asylum, but some camps also house environmental migrants and economic refugees.

Some refugee camps exist for decades and people can stay in refugee camps for decades, both of which have major implications for human rights.^[3] Some camps grow into permanent settlements and even merge with nearby older communities, such as Ain al-Hilweh, Lebanon and Deir al-Balah, Palestine.

Refugee camps may sometimes serve as headquarters for the recruitment, support and training of guerilla organizations engaged in fighting in the refugees' area of origin; such organizations often use humanitarian aid to supply their troops.^[4] Rwandan refugee camps in Zaire^[5] and Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand^[6] supported armed groups until their destruction by local military forces.

Facilities

Facilities of a refugee camp can include the following:^[7]

• An administrative headquarters to coordinate services
• Sleeping accommodations (frequently tents)
• Hygiene facilities (washing areas and latrines or toilets)
• Clinics, hospitals and immunization centers
• Food distribution and therapeutic feeding centers
• Communication equipment (e.g. radio)
• Security, including protection from banditry (e.g. barriers and security checkpoints) and peacekeeping troops to prevent armed violence
• Places of worship
• Schools and training centers (if permitted by the host country)
• Markets and shops (if permitted by the host country)

Schools and markets may be prohibited by the host country government in order to discourage refugees from settling permanently in camps.

Many refugee camps also have:

• Places for refugees to collect water, usually from tanks where water is off-loaded from trucks, then filtered and/or treated with disinfectant chemicals such as chlorine
• Bathing areas, often separated by gender
• Cemeteries or crematoria
• Locations for solid waste disposal.
• Churches or other religious centers^[8]

In order to understand and monitor an emergency over a period of time, the development and organisation of the camps can be tracked by satellite^[9] and analyzed via GIS.^[10][11]

Duration

People may stay in these camps, receiving emergency food and medical aid, until it is safe to return to their home countries. When the situation in their country of origin stabilizes, they can make use of voluntary repatriation programmes.^[12] In some cases, often after several years, the host country government may prefer to see that refugees are resettled in "third countries" which accept refugees seeking asylum. In other cases, the host country government may choose to forcibly repatriate refugees to their country of origin, in violation of international law. In rare cases, they may be naturalised by the country they fled to.^[13]

Although camps are intended to be temporary, some exist for decades and people can stay there for decades, both of which have major implications for human rights.^[3] Some Palestinian refugee camps exist since 1948, camps for Eritreans in Sudan (such as the Shagarab camp) exist since 1968,^[14] the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria exist since 1975, camps for Burmese in Thailand (such as the Mae La refugee camp) exist since 1986, Buduburam in Ghana since 1990, or Dadaab and Kakuma in Kenya since 1991 and 1992, respectively. In fact “protracted refugee situations now account for the vast majority of the world’s refugee population”.^[15] Some camps grow into permanent settlements and even merge with nearby older communities, such as Ain al-Hilweh, Lebanon and Deir al-Balah, Palestine.

Work and employment

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has a policy of helping refugees work and be productive, using their existing skills to meet their own needs and needs of the host country, to:

"Ensure the right of refugees to access work and other livelihood opportunities as they are available for nationals... Match programme interventions with corresponding levels of livelihood capacity (existing livelihood assets such as skills and past work experience) and needs identified in the refugee population, and the demands of the market... Assist refugees in becoming self-reliant. Cash / food / rental assistance delivered through humanitarian agencies should be short-term and conditional and gradually lead to self-reliance activities as part of longer-term development... Convene internal and external stakeholders around the results of livelihood assessments to jointly identify livelihood support opportunities."^[16]

If enough aid is provided to refugees, it can help host countries too, through stimulus effects.^[17] However refugee support does not usually provide cash to create effective demand,^[18] and refugees without cash are restricted by host countries lest they depress wages and opportunities for locals. Host countries also sometimes wish to avoid cultural and political changes that integrating refugees would cause.

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

Legal system

Many refugees express mistrust of community leaders or representatives, with some of them alleging that they are bribed by employees of humanitarian organizations in the camps so that they do not genuinely represent fellow refugees. Refugee representatives can act as a buffer for camp authorities as they stop the latter from being swamped by refugee concerns. Even though the existence of refugee representatives gives the impression that camps are democratic, these representatives are in fact part of a disciplinary machinery.^[19]

Women and children

Especially women and children suffer from live in the camps.

Refugee resettlement

Globally, about 17 countries (Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States) regularly accept "quota refugees" from refugee camps.^[20] The UNHCR works in partnership with these countries and resettlement programmes, such as the Gateway Protection Programme,^[21] that support refugees after arrival in the new countries. In recent years, most quota refugees have come from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and the former Yugoslavia which have been disrupted by wars and revolutions.

Notable refugee camps

Darfur refugee camp in Chad

Cyprus deportation camp (1946-49)

Africa

• There are 12 camps in the east of Chad, such as Breidjing Camp. They are hosting approximately 250,000 Sudanese refugees from the Darfur region in Sudan and were opened in 2002. The other camps are Oure Cassoni, Mile, Treguine, Iridimi, Touloum, Kounoungou, Goz Amer, Farchana, Am Nabak, Gaga and Djabal.^[22] Some of these camps appear in the documentary Google Darfur.
• A number of camps in the south of Chad - such as Dosseye, Kobitey, Mbitoye, Danamadja, Sido, Doyaba and Djako - are hosting approximately 113,000 refugees from Central African Republic.^[23]
• There are a number of camps in Uganda, such as Nakivale, Kayaka II, Kyangwali and Rwamanja. They host 170,000 refugees from South Sudan.^[24]
• There are four camps in Maban County in South Sudan hosting Sudanese refugees. Yusuf Batil camp is home to 37,000 refugees, Doro camp to 44,000, Jamam camp hosts 20,000 refugees and Gendrassa camp 10,000.^[25]
• Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana, home to more than 12,000 Liberians^[26] (opened 1990)
• Dadaab refugee camps (Ifo, Ifo II, Dagahaley, Hagadera, and Kambioos) in North Eastern Kenya, established in 1991 and now hosting more than 330,000 Somali refugees.^[27] It is by far the world's largest refugee camp^[28] and even if taken separately Hagadera, Dagahaley, Ifo II and Ifo were (in this order) the world's four largest camps in 2013.^[29]
• Sahrawi refugee camps near Tindouf, South Western Algeria, were opened circa 1976 and are called Laayoune, Smara, Awserd, February 27, Rabouni, Daira of Bojador and Dakhla.
• Ras Ajdir camp, close to the Tunisian border in Libya, was opened in 2011 and is housing between 20,000 and 30,000 Libyan refugees.^[30]
• Dzaleka camp in the Dowa District of Malawi is home to 17,000 refugees from Burundi, the DRC and Rwanda.^[31]
• Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania opened in 1997 and initially hosted 60.000 refugees from the DRC. Due to the recent conflicts in Burundi it also hosts 90.000 refugees from Burundi. In 2014 it was the 9th largest refugee camp.^[32] However, since the conflict in Burundi it is considered one of the world's biggest and most overcrowded camps.^[33]
• Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya was opened in 1991. It hosts 18 different nationalities, largest groups are Ethiopians, Sudanese and Somali refugees.In 2014 it was the third largest refugee camp worldwide.^[28][32]
• Bwagiriza and Gatumba refugee camps in Burundi host refugees from the DRC.
• There are a number of camps close to Dolo Ado in southern Ethiopia, hosting refugees from Somalia.^[34] In 2014 the Dolo Ado camps (Melkadida, Bokolmanyo, Buramino, Kobe Camp, Fugnido, Hilaweyn and Adiharush) were considered to be the second largest.^[28][32]
• Jomvu, Hatimy and Swaleh Nguru camps near Mombasa, Kenya, were closed in 1997. Refugees, mainly Somalis, were either forced to relocate to Kakuma or were repatriated into unsafe Somalia and given $30 for leaving voluntarily.^[35] Another camp for Somalis in Kenya that was closed is Liboi. Other camps in Kenya that were closed are: Oda, Walda, Thika, Utange, Marafa.
• Jalalaqsi, Qoryoley, Badbaado and Sigalow in Somalia.^[36]
• Hart Sheik in Ethiopia hosted more than 250,000 mostly Somalians refugees between 1988 and 2004.
• Itang camp in Ethiopia hosted 182,000 refugees from South Sudan and was the world's largest refugee camp for some time during the 1990s.^[37]
• Benaco and Ngara in Tanzania.
• Kala, Meheba and Mwange camps in the northwest of Zambia host refugees from Angola and DRC.^[38]
• There are 12 camps, such as Shagarab and Wad Sharifey, in eastern Sudan. They host around 66,000 mostly Eritrean refugees, the first of whom arrived in 1968.^[14]
• Ali Addeh (or Ali Adde) and Holhol camps in Djibouti host 23,000 refugees, who are mainly from Somalia, but also Ethiopians and Eritreans.^[39]
• Osire camp in central Namibia was established in 1992 to accommodate refugees from Angola, Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda and Somalia. It had 20,000 inhabitants in 1998 and only 3,000 in 2014.
• Lainé and Kouankan (I & II) camps in Guinea hosted nearly 29,300 refugees mostly from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d'Ivoire. The number reduced to 15,000 in 2009.^[40]
• Cameroon hosted more than 240,000 UNHCR registered refugees in 2014, mainly from the Central African Republic: Minawao refugee camp in the north and Gado Badzere, Borgop, Ngam, Timangolo, Mbilé and Lolo refugee camps in the east of Cameroon.^[41]
• There are a number of camps in Rwanda that host 85,000 refugees from the DRC: Gihembe, Kigeme, Kiziba, Mugombwa and Nyabiheke camps.^[42]
• Mentao camp in Burkina Faso hosts 13,000 Malian refugees.^[43]
• PTP camp near Zwedru, Bahn camp and Little Wlebo camp in eastern Liberia is home to 12,000 refugees from Ivory Coast.^[44]
• M’Bera camp in southeastern Mauritania hosts 50,000 Malian refugees.^[45]
• Choucha camp in Tunisia hosted nearly 20,000 refugees from 13 different countries who fled from Libya in 2011. Half of them are sub-Saharan African and Arab refugees and the other half are Bangladeshis who had been working in Libya. 3,000 refugees remained the camp in 2012, 1,300 in 2013 and its closure is planned.^[46]
• Comè in Benin hosted Togolese refugees until it was closed in 2006.
• Lazaret in Niger was the largest camp in the Sahel during the extreme drought of 1973-1975 and mainly hosted Tuareg people.
• Tongogara camp in Zimbabwe was established for Mozambican refugees in 1984 and housed in 58,000 of them in 1994.^[47]

Asia

• There were a number of camps on the Thai-Cambodian border in Thailand which hosted Khmer people, Cambodians, Vietnamese between 1979 and 1993 (see Indochina refugee crisis), such as Nong Samet, Nong Chan, Sa Kaeo, Site Two, Khao-I-Dang. There were also camps in the Thai-Laotian border region, hosting Hmong people and Laotians, such as Ban Vinai and Nong Khai.
• Whitehead Camp, Hong Kong, considered the "world's largest prison" in the early 1990s^[48]
• Philippine Refugee Processing Center for Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian refugees fleeing wars in Indochina.
• There are a number of camps, such as Puzhal, for Sri Lankan Tamils, established in Tamil Nadu in India in 1983, with over 110,000 refugees by 1998.^[49]
• Niatak and Torbat-e Jam camps in Iran host Afghan refugees.
• There are a number of camps in Pakistan that host Afghan refugees, such as Panian, Nasir Bagh, Old Shamshatoo, Old Akora, Gamkol, Barakai, Badaber, Girdi Jungle, Azakhel and Saranan.^[50] Jelazee camp, which also hosted Afghan refugees was closed in 2001, because of security concerns.
• Champtala is a camp in Afghanistan and hosts Afghan refugees who returned from Pakistan.
• There are a number of camps in Nepal, such as the 3 Beldangi refugee camps, Goldhap, Khudunabari, Sanischare and Timai hosting Bhutanese refugees. They are Lhotshampas who were forced to flee from Bhutan to Nepal.
• Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee camp in Burma hosted 19,512 Karenni people in 2008.
• Mae La refugee camp in Thailand hosts around 50,000 Burmese of the Karen ethnicity.
• There are two camps, Nayapara and Kutupalong, in south-eastern Bangladesh hosting 30,000 registered Rohingya people who fled from Myanmar. It is estimated that 200,000 undocumented Rohingya refugees are living outside the camps with little access to humanitarian assistance.^[51]
• Galang Refugee Camp in Indonesia accommodated Indochinese refugees between 1979 and 1996.

Middle East

• Camps for Syrian refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan, including Domiz in Dohuk Governorate,^[52][53] Arbat in Sulaymaniyah, and Qushtapa, Basirma, Gawilan, Kawergosk and Darashakran in Erbil Governorate.^[54] (see also Syrian refugee camps in Iraqi Kurdistan)
• Camps for Syrian refugees in Turkey, such as Urfa, Kilis Oncupinar, Gaziantep and those in the Hatay Province that were opened in 2011 (see also Syrian refugee camps in Turkey).
• Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, hosting 144,000 Syrian refugees as of July 2013, although the population in November 2013 had dropped to around 112,000 as the Syrian civil war continues.^[55]
• Mrajeeb Al Fhood refugee camp in Jordan, hosting 4,200 and Azraq camp, hosting 26,000 Syrian refugees.
• Immigrant camps (Israel) (1947–1950) and Ma'abarot transition camps (1950–1963) to accommodate Jewish refugees and immigrants in Israel.
• Palestinian refugee camps were opened between 1948 and 1968. The 59 camps are recognized by the UNRWA and host 1.5 million refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. These camps contain the world's largest and oldest refugee population. Yarmouk camp, just outside Damascus, is one of them and was once home to half a million Palestinian refugees (about 18,000 in 2015). It has been besieged by Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2012 and came again under attack by the Islamic State group in 2015.
  

  Aerial view of Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, July 18, 2013.
• Three camps received Palestinian refugees from Iraq: Al Tanf, Al Hol and Al Waleed. There are around 2,000 in Al Hol and in Al Waleed camp, which is on the Iraqi side of the border. Al Tanf, which was on the Syrian side and hosted 1,600 Palestinians, was closed in 2010.^[56]
• Al Kharaz in Yemen hosts 14,000 refugees from Somalia who crossed the Gulf of Aden.^[57]
• Al-Mazraq camps (1-3) host around 24,000 internally displaced persons in Yemen.^[58]
• There are camps for displaced Syrians within Syria such as Qah or the Olive Tree Camp.

Europe

• Cyprus internment camps (1946–1949) to accommodate Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors
• Lampedusa immigrant reception center for refugees, asylum seekers and other immigrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa.
• Ħal Far, Malta for African immigrants.

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

• Timisoara Emergency Transit Centre for refugees in Romania.^[59] It can accommodate up to 200 people and provides a temporary safe haven – for up to six months – for individuals or groups who need to be evacuated immediately from life-threatening situations before being resettled.^[60]
• Sangatte camp^[61] and the Calais jungle in northern France.^[62]
• The Oksbøl Refugee Camp was the largest camp for German Refugees in Denmark after World War II.
• Traiskirchen camp in eastern Austria hosts refugees that come to Europe as part of the European migrant crisis.
• Friedland refugee camp in Germany hosted refugees who fled from the former eastern territories of Germany at the end of World War II, between 1944 and 1950. Between 1950 and 1987 it was a transit centre for East German (GDR) citizens who wanted to flee to Germany (FRG).
• International Refugee Organization camp at Lesum, near Bremen, Germany.
• Kjesäter in Sweden was a refugee camp and transit centre for Norwegian refugees fleeing Nazi persecution during World War II.
• Kløvermarken in Denmark was a refugee camp that hosted 19,000 German refugees between 1945 and 1949.
• Vrela Ribnička refugee camp in Montenegro was built in 1994 and houses refugees of Bosnian origin who were displaced during the Yugoslav Wars.
• Čardak was a camp in Serbia, for Serbs who fled from Croatia and Bosnia.
• Bagnoli camp in Naples, Italy, housed up to 10,000 refugees from Eastern Europe between 1946 and 1951.

Americas

• Campeche and Chiapas were camps in Mexico that hosted up to 25,000 Guatemalans who fled between 1981 and 1984.

Refugee camps by country and population size

The refugee population per country correlates with the number of refugee camps and the number of refugees per camp.

Populations of concern to UNHCR in refugee camps between 2014 and 2006

Country	Camp	2014 [63]	2013 [64]	2012 [65]	2011 [66]	2010 [67]	2009 [68]	2008 [69]	2007 [70]	2006 [71]
Chad	Am Nabak	25,553	24,513	23,611	20,395	18,087	17,402	16,696	16,701	16,504
Chad	Amboko	11,819	10,719	11,297	11,627	11,111	11,671	12,057	12,002	12,062
Kenya	Dagahaley (Dadaab)	88,486	104,565	121,127	122,214	93,470	93,179	65,581	39,626	39,526
Chad	Djabal	20,809	19,635	18,890	18,083	17,200	15,693	17,153	15,602	15,162
Yemen	Al Kharaz	16,500	16,816	19,047	16,904	14,100	16,466	11,394	9,491	9,298
Chad	Breidjing	41,146	39,797	37,494	35,938	34,465	32,559	32,669	30,077	28,932
Malawi	Dzaleka	5,874	16,935	16,664	16,853	12,819	10,275	9,425	8,690	4,950
Chad	Farchana	27,548	26,292	24,419	23,323	21,983	20,915	21,183	19,815	18,947
Kenya	Hagadera (Dadaab)	106,968	114,729	139,483	137,528	101,506	83,518	90,403	70,412	59,185
Sudan	Girba	6,306	6,295	6,252	5,570	5,592	5,645	5,120	9,081	8,996
Chad	Gondje	12,138	11,349	11,717	10,006	9,586	11,184	12,700	12,664	12,624
Kenya	Ifo (Dadaab)	83,750	99,761	98,294	118,972	97,610	79,424	79,469	61,832	54,157
Chad	Iridimi	22,908	21,976	21,083	21,329	18,859	18,154	19,531	18,269	17,380
Kenya	Kakuma	153,959	128,540	107,205	85,862	69,822	64,791	53,068	62,497	90,457
Sudan	Kilo 26	8,391	8,303	8,310	7,634	7,608	7,610	7,133	12,690	11,423
Chad	Kounoungou	21,960	20,876	19,143	18,251	16,927	16,237	18,514	13,500	13,315
Bangladesh	Kutapalong	13,176	12,626	12,404	11,706	11,469	11,251	11,047	10,708	10,144
Thailand	Mae La	46,978	25,156	26,690	27,629	29,188	30,073	32,862	38,130	46,148
Thailand	Mae La Oon	12,245	8,675	9,611	10,204	11,991	13,811	13,478	13,450	14,366
Thailand	Mae Ra Ma Luang	13,825	8,421	9,414	10,269	11,749	13,571	11,304	11,578	12,840
Chad	Mile	21,723	20,818	19,823	18,853	17,382	14,221	17,476	16,202	15,557
Bangladesh	Nayapara	19,179	18,288	18,066	17,729	17,547	17,091	17,076	16,679	16,010
Thailand	Nu Po	13,372	7,927	15,715	15,982	9,262	9,800	11,113	13,377	13,131
Tanzania	Nyarugusu	57,267	68,888	68,132	63,551	62,726	62,184	49,628	50,841	52,713
Chad	Oure Cassoni	36,466	35,415	33,267	36,168	32,206	31,189	28,430	28,035	26,786
Ethiopia	Shimelba	6,106	5,885	6,033	8,295	9,187	10,135	10,648	16,057	13,043
India	Tamil Nadu	65,057	65,674	67,165	68,152	69,998	72,883	73,286	72,934	69,609
Chad	Touloum	29,683	28,501	27,940	27,588	24,500	26,532	24,935	23,131	22,358
Chad	Treguine	21,801	20,990	19,957	19,099	17,820	17,000	17,260	15,718	14,921
Sudan	Um Gargur	10,269	10,172	8,947	8,550	8,641	8,715	8,180	10,104	9,845
Thailand	Um Pium	16,109	9,816	10,581	11,017	11,742	12,494	14,051	19,397	19,464
Sudan	Wad Sherife	15,357	15,318	15,472	15,481	15,819	15,626	13,636	36,429	33,371
Ethiopia	Fugnido	53,218	42,044	34,247	22,692	21,770	20,202	-	18,726	27,175
Chad	Gaga	24,591	23,236	22,266	21,474	19,888	19,043	20,677	17,708	12,402
Pakistan	Gamkol	30,241	31,326	31,701	32,830	35,169	33,033	33,499	37,462	-
Pakistan	Gandaf	12,068	12,508	12,632	13,346	12,731	12,497	12,659	13,609	-
South Sudan	Gendressa	17,975	17,289	14,758	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rwanda	Gihembe	14,735	-	14,006	19,827	19,853	19,407	19,027	18,081	17,732
Liberia	Bahn	5,257	8,412	8,851	5,021	-	-	-	-	-
Ethiopia	Bambasi	14,279	13,354	12,199	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pakistan	Barakai	24,786	25,909	26,739	28,093	32,077	28,597	28,851	30,266	-
Ethiopia	Tongo	11,075	10,399	9,518	9,605	-	-	-	-	-
Chad	Yaroungou	-	-	11,594	10,916	10,544	11,925	16,573	13,352	15,260
South Sudan	Yusuf Batil	40,240	39,033	36,754	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jordan	Zaatari	84,773	145,209	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pakistan	Thall	12,247	12,847	12,976	13,468	15,419	15,269	15,602	17,266	-
Thailand	Tham Hin	7,406	-	7,242	7,150	4,282	-	5,078	6,007	7,767
Nepal	Timai	-	-	-	-	7,058	8,553	9,935	10,421	10,413
Pakistan	Timer	8,690	8,603	8,665	11,161	11,764	11,839	12,080	13,919	-
Algeria	Tindouf	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000	90,000
Pakistan	Old Akora	34,789	36,384	36,693	37,736	42,872	37,019	37,757	41,647	-
Pakistan	Old Shamshatoo	48,268	52,835	53,573	54,502	61,205	58,804	58,773	66,556	-
Namibia	Osire	-	-	-	-	-	8,506	8,122	7,730	6,486
Uganda	Pader	-	-	-	6,677	38,550	90,000	196,000	-	-
Pakistan	Padhana	9,362	9,775	9,892	10,075	11,393	10,380	10,403	10,564	-
Pakistan	Panian	53,816	56,295	56,820	58,819	67,332	61,822	62,293	65,033	-
Pakistan	Pir Alizai	7,681	9,204	9,771	10,243	15,157	13,802	14,710	16,563	-
Nepal	Sanischare	-	6,599	9,212	10,173	13,649	16,745	20,128	21,386	21,285
Pakistan	Saranan	18,248	20,744	21,218	21,927	26,786	24,119	24,272	24,625	-
Sudan	Shagarab	34,039	34,147	37,428	27,809	24,104	16,562	14,990	22,706	21,999
Ethiopia	Sheder	12,263	11,248	11,882	11,326	10,458	7,964	6,567	-	-
Ethiopia	Sherkole	10,171	9,737	7,527	8,962	-	-	-	8,989	13,958
Pakistan	Surkhab	5,764	7,012	7,214	7,422	12,304	11,789	11,877	12,225	-
Burkina Faso	Mentao	10,953	11,907	6,905	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tanzania	Mtabila	-	-	-	37,554	36,789	36,009	45,247	90,680	-
Pakistan	Munda	9,388	9,941	10,100	10,341	12,728	11,225	11,386	13,274	-
Burundi	Musasa	7,001	6,829	6,500	6,330	6,153	6,572	5,984	6,764	-
Zambia	Mwange	-	-	-	-	-	5,820	14,429	17,911	21,179
Uganda	Nakivale	66,691	-	64,373	-	-	52,249	42,113	33,176	25,692
Pakistan	New Durrani	-	14,978	12,438	14,397	10,458	-	-	-	-
Pakistan	Oblan	9,015	9,294	9,331	9,474	10,065	9,560	9,624	11,564	-
Liberia	PTP	15,300	12,734	9,353	-	-	-	-	-	-
Uganda	Rhino Camp	18,762	-	4,266	-	-	-	5,582	14,328	18,493
Uganda	Rwamanja	52,489	-	29,797	-	-	-	-	-	-
Liberia	Little Wlebbo	8,481	10,009	8,399	-	-	-	-	-	-
Tanzania	Lugufu	-	-	-	-	-	-	28,995	45,308	75,254
Tanzania	Lukole	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	25,490	39,685
Thailand	Mai Nai Soi	12,414	9,725	11,730	12,244	12,252	-	19,311	19,103	-
Ethiopia	Mai Ayni	17,808	18,207	15,715	14,432	12,255	15,762	-	-	-
Iraq	Makhmour	-	10,534	10,552	10,240	11,101	-	10,912	10,728	11,900
Mozambique	Maratane	-	7,707	7,398	9,576	6,646	-	-	-	5,019
Uganda	Masindi	-	-	-	6,500	20,000	55,000	55,000	-	-
Zambia	Mayukwayukwa	-	11,366	10,117	-	-	10,184	10,474	10,660	10,636
Mauritania	M'bera	48,910	66,392	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Zambia	Meheba	8,410	17,806	17,708	-	-	14,970	15,763	13,892	13,732
Ethiopia	Melkadida	44,645	43,480	42,365	40,696	25,491	-	-	-	-
Chad	Abgadam	21,571	21,914	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ethiopia	Adi Harush	34,090	25,801	23,562	15,982	6,923	-	-	-	-
Uganda	Adjumani	96,926	11,986	9,279	-	7,365	28,000	21,714	52,784	54,051
South Sudan	Ajuong Thok	15,015	6,691	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Djibouti	Ali Adde	18,208	17,523	17,354	19,500	14,333	-	8,924	6,376	6,739
Uganda	Amuru	-	-	-	6,779	35,475	98,000	234,000	-	-
Ethiopia	Awbarre / Teferiber	12,965	13,752	13,331	13,426	13,120	12,293	11,045	8,581	-
Pakistan	Azakhel	20,191	21,132	21,231	21,398	26,342	23,963	24,258	25,649	-
Jordan	Azraq	11,315	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pakistan	Badaber	23,918	25,589	26,227	28,729	31,345	30,107	30,327	36,614	-
Nepal	Beldangi 1 & 2	18,379	24,377	31,976	33,855	36,761	42,122	50,350	52,967	52,997
Chad	Belome	26,521	23,949	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ethiopia	Bokolmanyo	41,665	41,670	40,423	38,501	14,988	21,707	-	-	-
Ghana	Buduburam	-	-	-	-	-	11,334	14,992	26,179	36,159
Ethiopia	Buramino	39,471	40,114	35,207	-	-	-	-	-	-
Burundi	Bwagiriza	9,480	9,289	10,105	6,159	4,526	2,896
Niger	Abala	12,938	12,216	11,126	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pakistan	Chakdara	10,704	11,184	11,242	13,354	18,752	16,069	16,427	17,420	-
Kenya	Ifo 2 (Dadaab)	52,310	65,693	69,269	64,945	-	-	-	-	-
Kenya	Kambioos (Dadaab)	21,035	20,435	18,126	10,833	-	-	-	-	-
Chad	Dogdore	-	-	19,500	19,500	19,500	-	-	-	-
South Sudan	Doro	50,087	47,422	-	28,709	-	-	-	-	-
Chad	Dosseye	21,522	15,766	9,922	9,724	9,433	9,607	8,556	6,158	2,277
Pakistan	Girdi Jungle	17,376	22,065	22,340	22,740	31,642	29,716	29,717	29,783	-
Nepal	Goldhap	-	-	-	-	4,764	6,356	8,315	9,694	9,602
Burkina Faso	Goudebo	9,403	9,287	4,943	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chad	Goz Amer	31,477	30,105	27,091	25,841	24,608	21,449	21,640	20,097	19,261
Chad	Goz Beïda	-	-	60,500	73,000	73,000	-	-	-	-
Uganda	Gulu	-	-	-	-	9,043	44,000	156,000	-	-
Yemen	Al-Mazrak	-	12,416	12,308	12,075	-	-	-	-	-
Ethiopia	Hilaweyn	38,890	37,305	30,960	25,747	-	-	-	-	-
Ethiopia	Hitsats	33,235	10,226	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Uganda	Impevi	-	-	-	-	-	-	7,453	22,061	23,331
Niger	Intikane	12,738	11,221	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sri Lanka	Jaffna	-	-	-	6,436	9,108	-	-	10,522	-
Pakistan	Jalala	12,968	13,278	13,421	14,042	16,094	13,854	14,115	16,160	-
Ethiopia	Kobe	39,214	36,488	31,656	26,033	-	-	-	-	-
Pakistan	Koga	8,404	8,738	8,893	9,216	9,183	9,264	10,458	10,766	-
Pakistan	Kot Chandna	13,796	14,664	14,889	15,100	17,787	15,012	15,037	15,130	-
Ethiopia	Kule	46,314	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pakistan	Jalozai	-	22,076	57,771	32,499	100,748	30,955	32,155	83,616	-
Pakistan	Kababian	11,044	11,664	12,167	12,504	13,214	12,335	11,291	14,729	-
Pakistan	Kacha Gari	-	-	-	-	-	28,365	24,554	26,721	-
Zambia	Kala	-	-	-	-	-	-	12,768	16,877	19,143
South Sudan	Kaya	21,918	18,788	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Uganda	Kyaka II	22,616	-	18,055	-	-	17,442	14,750	18,229	16,410
Ethiopia	Kebribeyah	-	15,788	16,009	16,408	16,601	16,496	16,132	16,879	16,399
Iran	Rafsanjan	-	-	-	-	6,852	6,630	-	-	12,715
Pakistan	Khaki	14,101	14,698	14,939	15,768	16,221	15,933	16,010	16,267	-
Nepal	Khudunabari	-	-	-	9,032	11,067	12,054	13,254	13,226	13,506
Burundi	Kinama	9,796	9,759	9,480			9,369	8,447	-	-
Uganda	Kitgum	-	-	-	7,070	12,290	122,000	164,000	-	-
Rwanda	Kiziba	-	-	15,927	18,919	18,888	18,693	18,323	18,130	17,978
Pakistan	Khairābād-Kund	-	-	12,961	12,921	11,839	11,669	11,686	14,674	-
Uganda	Kyangwali	40,023	-	21,280	-	-	20,606	13,434	20,109	19,132
Guinea	Laine	-	-	-	-	4,187	-	-	5,185	11,406
Ethiopia	Leitchour	47,711	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

See also

• Displaced persons camp
• Immigration detention
• Tent city
• Transitional shelter
• United Nations Border Relief Operation which administered camps in Thailand 1982-1993.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
• Refugee Nation

References

1. UNHCR: "Displacement: The New 21st Century Challenge," 2012; p. 35.
2. Sean Smith. "Migrant life in Calais' Jungle refugee camp - a photo essay". the Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
3. Daniel, E.V., and Knudsen, J. eds. Mistrusting Refugees 1995, University of California Press. ISBN 9780520088993
4. Barber, Ben. "Feeding refugees, or war? The dilemma of humanitarian aid." Foreign Affairs (1997): 8-14.
5. Van Der Meeren, Rachel. "Three decades in exile: Rwandan refugees 1960-1990." J. Refugee Stud. 9 (1996): 252.
6. Reynell, J. Political Pawns: Refugees on the Thai-Kampuchean Border. Oxford: Refugee Studies Programme, 1989.
7. Médecins Sans Frontières, Refugee Health: An approach to emergency situations, Macmillan, Oxford: 1997.
8. McAlister, Elizabeth (2013). "Humanitarian Adhocracy, Transnational New Apostolic Missions, and Evangelical Anti-Dependency in a Haitian Refugee Camp". Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions. 16 (4): 11–34. doi:10.1525/nr.2013.16.4.11.
9. "Syrian refugee camps in Turkish territory". astrium-geo.com.
10. Beaudou A., Cambrézy L., Zaiss R., "Geographical Information system, environment and camp planning in refugee hosting areas: Approach, methods and application in Uganda," Institute for Research in Development (IRD); November 2003.
11. Alain Beaudou, Luc Cambrézy, Marc Souris, "Environment, cartography, demography and geographical information system in the refugee camps Dadaab, Kakuma – Kenya," October 1999 UNHCR – IRD (ORSTOM).
12. "UN Refugee Chief: Voluntary Return of Somali Refugees a Global Priority". VOA. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
13. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - UNHCR welcomes Tanzania's decision to naturalize tens of thousands of Burundian refugees". UNHCR. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
14. "IRIN Africa - ERITREA-SUDAN: A forgotten refugee problem - Eritrea - Sudan - Early Warning - Refugees/IDPs". IRINnews. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
15. UNHCR (2006). The state of the world’s refugees 2006: Human displacement in the new millennium. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
16. "Promoting Livelihoods and Self-reliance" (PDF). UNHCR, 2011. Retrieved 9 Sep 2013.
17. "Development assistance and refugees" (PDF). Oxford University, 2009. Retrieved 9 Sep 2013.
18. "Investing in refugees: new solutions for old problems". The Guardian, 15 July 2013. Retrieved 9 Sep 2013.
19. R. Jaji, Journal of Refugee Studies Vol. 25, No. 2, 2011: Social Technology and Refugee Encampment in Kenya
20. Refugees and New Zealand at the Refugee Services
21. "Gateway Protection Programme". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
22. Esri,Marina Koren. "Where Are the 50 Most Populous Refugee Camps?". Smithsonian. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
23. "CAR: The Fate of Refugees in Southern Chad". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
24. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "South Sudan Situation - Uganda". UNHCR South Sudan Situation. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
25. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - UNHCR tackles Hepatitis E outbreak that kills 16 Sudanese refugees". UNHCR. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
26. "Future of Liberian Refugees in Ghana Uncertain". VOA.
27. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Refugees in the Horn of Africa: Somali Displacement Crisis - Kenya - Dadaab". UNHCR Refugees in the Horn of Africa: Somali Displacement Crisis. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
28. "Ten Largest Refugee Camps". WSJ. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
29. Esri Story Maps. "Fifty Largest Refugee Camps - A story map presented by Esri". Esri. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
30. "Libyan Refugee Crisis Called a ‘Logistical Nightmare’". The New York Times. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
31. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Malawi". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
32. Jack Todd. "10 Largest Refugee Camps in the World". BORGEN. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
33. Nicole Lee. "A life of escaping conflict: 'I don't feel like a Burundian – I am a refugee'". the Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
34. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Somali refugees in Ethiopia's Dollo Ado exceed 150,000 as rains hit camps". UNHCR. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
35. G. Verdirame, Journal of Refugee Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1, 1999: Human Rights and Refugees: The Case of Kenya
36. De Montclos & Kagwanja, Journal of Refugee Studies Vol. 13, No. 2 2000: Refugee Camps or Cities? The Socio-economic Dynamics of the Dadaab and Kakuma Camps in Northern Kenya
37. "Refugees From Sudan Strain Ethiopia Camps". The New York Times. 1 May 1988. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
38. http://www.unhcr.org/4c0903ca9.pdf
39. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Djibouti". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
40. http://www.unhcr.org/4c08f2409.pdf
41. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Cameroon". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
42. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Rwanda". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
43. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Opération Sahel - Mali Situation - Burkina Faso - Camp de Mentao". UNHCR Opération Sahel. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
44. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Liberia". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
45. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Mauritania". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
46. "UNHCR - Refugees Daily". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
47. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/somalia-wikileaks/8302115/TONGOGARA-REFUGEE-CAMP-TRIP-REPORT.html
48. Dobson, Chris (19 July 1992). "A day at the world's largest 'prison'". South China Morning Post.
49. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Sri Lanka". unhcr.org.
50. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Pakistan". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
51. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - The young and the hopeless in Bangladesh's camps". UNHCR. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
52. Life getting harder for Syrian refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan
53. "Syrian refugee women in Domiz camp struggling for their rights in Iraqi Kurdistan". kvinnatillkvinna.se.
54. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "Syria Regional Refugee Response - Iraq". UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response.
55. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "Syria Regional Refugee Response - Jordan - Mafraq Governorate - Zaatari Refugee Camp". UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response.
56. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - End of long ordeal for Palestinian refugees as desert camp closes". UNHCR. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
57. "IRIN Middle East - YEMEN: Somali refugees hope for better life beyond Kharaz camp - Somalia - Yemen - Children - Education - Gender Issues - Refugees/IDPs". IRINnews. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
58. "UNHCR - Refugees Daily". Retrieved 8 February 2016.
59. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "The Timisoara ETC: a gateway to freedom and a new life". UNHCR RRCE. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
60. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR - Refugees evacuated from desert camp to safe haven in Romania". UNHCR. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
61. "Sangatte refugee camp". London: The Guardian. 23 May 2002.
62. Gentleman, Amelia (3 November 2015). "The horror of the Calais refugee camp: ‘We feel like we are dying slowly’". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
63. http://www.unhcr.org/statisticalyearbook/2014-annex-tables.zip
64. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2013/annex_tables.zip
65. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2012/2012_Statistical_Yearbook_annex_tables_v1.zip
66. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2011/2011_Statistical_Yearbook_annex_tables_v1.zip
67. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2010/2011-SYB10-annex-tables.zip
68. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2009/2009-Statistical-Yearbook-Annex-Tables.zip
69. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2008/08-TPOC-TB_v5_external_PW.zip
70. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2007/annextables.zip
71. http://www.unhcr.org/static/statistical_yearbook/2006/annextables.zip

External links

• UNHCR - The UN Refugee Agency - Data Sharing Tool - Interactive map and passport of every refugee camp, data sharing tool updated by every organisation in the camp
• Camp Management Toolkit published by Norwegian Refugee Council
• Shelter Library Resource for organisations responding to the transitional settlement and shelter needs of displaced populations
• Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City. An awareness raising touring event organized by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' Campaign to End Refugee Warehousing in refugee camps around the world, people are confined to their settlement and denied their basic rights.
• Refuge Essay on Life in a Refugee Camp
• Thai-Cambodian Border Camps
• An Assessment of Sphere Humanitarian Standards for Shelter and Settlement Planning in Kenya’s Dadaab Refugee Camps
• The open source and open hardware OLPC One School Per Child Initiative link Refugee Camps