What are the top five priorities in managing a refugee camp?

Define · Locate · Select · Organise · Present · Evaluate Define the task The Scenario: Managing a refugee camp Your group is part of a team responsible for managing a refugee camp in the Darfur region of western Sudan. There are about 1,000 people, mainly women and children, who have arrived on foot after the men in their villages were killed. Many are sick and very scared they will be attacked again. The rainy season is late so there is limited food and water. Relief workers must work quickly to get supplies to the camp before the rains make the roads impassable. Background Conflict between the government and people in Darfur, western Sudan, has led to many deaths and people fleeing their homes in search of safety. The United Nations, governments and aid organisations are working together to assist refugees by monitoring peace and by running camps which provide water and sanitation, food, medical services and shelter. A fragile peace, limited budget to purchase supplies and massive distances to camps from ports make caring for the Darfur refugees a complex situation. Perspectives on the Global Question Form into five teams to research one of the following specialist roles. As a team agree on your approach so each person can argue the case for their specialist role. Later you will reform as five Refugee Camp Management Teams with a representative from each specialist role. Water and sanitation specialist In the hot dry camps it is essential to have clean, safe drinking water for each person. They also need water for cooking, washing and cleaning. Without access to clean water, it is easy for deadly diseases such as cholera to spread through the camp. The water specialist is responsible for making sure that there is enough clean water and that it is not polluted with waste from toilets (also known as latrines). Water needs to be located, collected, transported, stored and distributed fairly to all the people in the camp. People need to be educated in ways of using water to prevent contamination from excreta. Food specialist Without adequate nutrition the people in the camp will become weak and sick. The food specialist must ensure that enough clean, nutritious food is located, bought, transported, stored and distributed fairly to all the people in the camp. The food specialist must also be able to assess when some groups of people, for example children and elderly, might require extra nutrition. Health care specialist Many refugees arrive at the camp sick or injured from travelling or the fighting. Others can become sick after they arrive due to the spread of diseases such as cholera or dysentery or from lack of food. The health care specialist must ensure that adequate medical facilities are available, including doctors, nurses and medical supplies. They must also work with other members of the team to make sure that good general health is maintained. They may also run education programs to help people understand how to stay healthy and avoid diseases. Shelter specialist Refugees need protection from the weather - sun, rain and cold. Using resources such as wood and mud bricks from the local area may cause long term environmental damage. If plastic sheeting or tents are provided they need to be located, bought, transported, stored and distributed fairly to all the people in the camp. Refugee representative Refugee representatives are people who act as a link between the aid specialists and the people in the camp. They make sure that decisions are made for the best interests of the refugees in the camp, especially the children and women. This may mean considering issues about: transport, security, making a living, finding lost family members and connections with the local community. Locate resources You can find information about refugee camps from a variety of sources including books, magazines, videos, television programs, news reports, online databases, websites, organisations and personal contacts. Remember that for this learning quest you are particularly interested in the management of refugee camps to keep refugees healthy. Libraries and databases Keyword search refugee* AND camp* Phrase search "refugee camp" Subject heading search Immigration and emigration Refugees Refugees Biography Refugees Civil rights Refugees Law and legislation Refugees Nutrition Refugees Social aspects Sudan Sudan Social conditions Fiction Subject heading search Refugees - Fiction Websites A number of websites have been suggested under headings for each of the team roles on the Refugees Learning Quest Resources page at: http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/page1769.html Background resources Refugees http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=refugee+camp+background&edna.sector=22199 http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=refugee+camp+background&edna.sector=23384 http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/182 Sudan http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=sudan+background&edna.sector=23979 http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/1704 Water and sanitation specialist http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=water+sanitation&word=any&edna.sector=23384 Food specialist http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=food&edna.sector=23384 Health specialist http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=health+study&edna.sector=23384 Shelter specialist http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=shelter&edna.sector=23384 Refugee representative http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/search?qt=community+representative&edna.sector=23384 Select information Focus questions to investigate roles and responsibilities Each team will research the information about their role. Here are some focus questions to assist you in your reading and understanding to help your team decide what is most important. Remember to think about how you will support your decisions. Make notes and record where you found your information. You can use the bibliography framework template available online at: http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/page1873.html   Background · Water and sanitation specialist · Food specialist · Health care specialist · Shelter specialist · Refugee representative Background questions Refugees Who is a refugee? Why do people flee their homes and become refugees? What is the role of humanitarian agencies and how do they protect refugees? What is life like in a refugee camp? What resources do refugees have to help them rebuild their lives? Sudan Why are people fleeing their homes in Darfur, western Sudan? What assistance is available for the people in Darfur? What are the special characteristics of the Darfur area? Water and sanitation specialist What is the minimum amount of water required daily for each person in the camp? How much water will you need each day for the whole camp? Where can you get the water? How will you get it to the camp? How can you treat the water to make it drinkable? In what ways can you store and distribute water fairly to the people in the camp? How will you provide appropriate toilets/latrines for the camp? How can you make sure the camp does not become polluted with waste from toilets? What are the two most important water and sanitation issues in a refugee camp? Food specialist What is the minimum amount of food (in kilojoules) required daily for each person in the camp? What range of foods is required in order to make sure that each person is not malnourished? Which groups of people should receive special attention regarding their nutrition? How much food will you need each day for the whole camp? Where can you get food? How will you get it to the camp? What are the best ways to store and distribute food fairly among the people in the camp? What are the two most important food issues in a refugee camp? Health care specialist What are the most common health problems for refugees, why do they occur and how you can help to prevent them? What is the best system for providing medical services to all the people in the camp? What health care people are needed to provide for the health needs of refugees? What medicines and other resources are needed? What should you do if you have an outbreak of cholera in the camp? What are the two most important health issues in a refugee camp? Shelter specialist What are the shelter needs of refugees? How does the weather affect the shelter needs? How many people would fit in a typical shelter? Where will you get materials to make shelters? What are the environmental considerations of erecting a large number of shelters? What are the two most important shelter issues in a refugee camp? Refugee representative What are the priorities priorities for daily life? What are the special needs of women and children? What are your long term needs? What are the two most important issues for refugees living in a refugee camp? Organise your response Form into five teams to research one of the specialist roles. Meet as specialist groups and check your understanding of the information. As a group prepare a list of management issues from the point of view of your role, with background information for each issue so you can explain your reasoning. Organise this list into priority order. Reform as five Refugee Camp Management Teams with a representative from each specialist role. Each new team now meets to discuss and agree on their recommendations. Each team member, in their specialist role will present and explain their priority list. Other team members should ask questions to make sure everything is understood by each member of the team. As a group you now need to agree on your answer to the global question: What are the top five priorities in managing a refugee camp? Present your findings Each team should prepare either: a Refugee Camp Management Kit with information about the five priorities, or a series of 10 presentation slides to use as part of a class conference on managing a refugee camp Discuss these options and the requirements for each with your teacher. Display your presentation to the other groups and compare your responses. Evaluate and reflect on your learning Complete this Learning Quest on managing a refugee camp by reflecting on your learning by using the self-assessment rubric. Your teacher and other team members may also give you feedback.   High Medium Low Collecting information       Ability to gather relevant information I used a large number of appropriate resources to gather information which was important and related to the questions. I used a variety of resources and collected information which was generally useful. I used only one or two resources and did not select the key points to answer the questions Ability to use information to support a particular perspective I developed a good understanding of a particular point of view about the issue and supported this well with information gathered. I presented a key aspect of a particular point of view about the issue and provided some information to support it. I formed an opinion with only limited use of the information gathered. Working as a team       Ability to work with others in a group I listened carefully to others, shared own information and supported others to express their point of view and keep the group working together as well. I listened to others and made some comments to support the group work together. I listened to some people but did not always encourage others to contribute their ideas. Presenting information       Ability to present information with rationale I presented key points with supportive evidence. I supported the key points with some evidence. I presented some key points in a short manner. Taking action       Ability to apply learning and create own response to the issues of refugees I can use information to analyse the global response to refugees. I can provide evidence to explain an aspect of relief to refugees. I can ask some questions of clarification about caring for refugees.

Learning outcome: Teams will investigate provision of water and sanitation, food, health care, shelter and refugee representation in order to make decisions about managing a refugee camp in the Darfur region of western Sudan in the safest, most effective manner possible. Learning Areas: Studies of Society & Environment Geography Health   Year levels: Upper primary/lower secondary   Duration: Minimum of four 45-minute lessons   Tools needed: Access to library resources, maps, Internet, markers and paper