Refugees Learning Quest: Define

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.