Uprooted
An addendum for motivating food security, economic opportunity, and individual dignity in refugee camp planning
In accordance with UNHCR guidelines
Stephanie Smith
Contents Establishing Camp Standards Complexities in the Camp There Will Be Camps in the Future The Problem with a Lost Generation Idealistic vs Realistic Creating Space Wasted Water Agroecological Potential Approach Benefits Concluding Thoughts
Refugee camp in Beirut
United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division
Establishing Camp Standards Refugee camp design has become standardized by the United Nations in the effort to ensure quality and accountability of services from all participating organizations. In 1971, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a guide for public health standards in the event of natural disasters. In the same year, Fred Cuny published Intertect, which outlined a more community-based approach to camp design. Since the 1970s, improvements and transfer of knowledge between individuals specializing in disaster relief and humanitarian aid organizations have been held in a power struggle for the best, most efficient solution. There appear to be two parallel design theories: modular, standardized, universal design, versus a design approach based on collaboration with local communities and the individuals in need, a focus on social wellbeing and access to resources within the camp, and improving the livelihood of those affected by crisis. The SPHERE PROJECT and the UN have adopted camp standards that attempt to be universally implemented despite conditions on the ground. The 1990s were a period of global optimism, agricultural surplus, and the rise of the internet. Changes in global aid policies, especially American policies toward food aid and humanitarian efforts, lead to a rapid increase in actors in the sphere of humanitarian intervention. With more players involved, more control and accountability were necessary for organization purposes along with the achievement of shared goals. Since this time period, the official UN guidelines for camp design and setup have been based on the rigid organization of space to be maintained by authority. The modular requirements are militaristic and impose an authoritarian approach towards camp design. This design approach lacks humanity in the context of crisis, and leaves individuals without the opportunity to cultivate a better life for themselves. The standardized design that strives to be temporary creates a situation in which refugees languish indefinitely. The lack of community,
The lack of community, opportunity, connection with the host country, access to work or the local economic market, education, and equity in the potential workplace strip the option for self determination and dignity. These camp standards simply serve to meet the minimum quantitative requirements required for human survival after a disastrous event.
Complexities in the Camp The Za’atari refugee camp brings to light deeply cut flaws of standardized, universal design. The UN guidelines require a modular infrastructure that is then subdivided into districts, sectors, blocks, communities, and family units. The grid layout does little to ensure hospitable living conditions. Prefabricated caravan dwellings do not respond to the physical environment, offering little respite from extreme summer temperatures and winter cold [1]. The units require electricity to power air conditioning units in the summer, creating increased energy demands. No shade structures exist in the camp, and there are no overhangs off of buildings that offer any relief from the sun. Improvised shade must be handcrafted from existing waste materials such as used tires and plastic sheeting. Only the personal, aesthetic interiors with mementos from a time before the war have the potential to feel like home. A self imposed social structure and start up economy exists in the camp and it operates both beneath and with UN and other aid officials. Street leaders, elected or self proclaimed positions of power and decision making within each neighborhood, negotiate deals with officials to secure resources such as water, electricity, and housing for their constituents. These leaders often have favorites within their neighborhood leading to an unfair distribution of resources over which officials have no control. The Syrian refugees fled from an authoritarian government that was known to abuse power in ways that were physically harmful or threatening. Therefore, establishing a foreign authority that decides what is best for refugees without consulting them may be difficult for refugees to accept. Forming internal community groups to make decisions returns some power back to the refugees, however newcomers or individuals without existing social connections may be left out of the resource loop.
Sunset over Za'atari Refugee Camp. emilieonearth.com
The refugees living within Za’atari are those that have no other option or place to live. The mandated adjustment from a middle class lifestyle to the most basic living conditions within a camp must be difficult. Individuals struggle to meet the most basic needs, let alone a decent standard of living. Some forms of a black market have risen from the demands to improve camp circumstances. ‘Electricians’ divert public energy to private dwellings or businesses. Private water tanks are attached to individual households. Housing units are moved to more desirable locations. This creates problems for camp authority when resources are unaccounted for and cannot be traced. Securing individual resources continues to be one of the biggest problems in the camp, yet it can be justified from both perspectives. Refugees are living in a purgatory between mandated slum existence and maintaining first world lifestyles and dependencies. Aid providers must mediate between the refugee and the resources that are or are not available. Furthermore, providers must ensure an equal distribution of resources, while caring especially for vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied children and youth.
Yemen at the brink of famine. TRT World and Agencies
There Will Be Camps in the Future The dramatic scale of this refugee crisis is not the first one of its size. Za’atari, even at its maximum population of over 200,000 individuals is still not the largest refugee camp in the world. There are larger camps. Dadaab in Kenya, with a population of 245,125, [2] was surpassed by Kutupalong in Bangladesh in February, 2018. Kutupalong, which emerged as a response to the Rohingya Muslim crisis, is estimated to have a population of 886,778 refugees.[3] There have been large camps in the past. The Gaza Strip’s Jabalia camp counted 110,000 individuals in 1948, [4] and Yarmouk in Syria had 148,500 in 1957.[5] There will be larger camps in the future. The National Intelligence Council predicts that global trends by 2030 will lean towards increased global migration, urbanization, as well as increasing pressures for secure food and water resources.[6] Africa and the Middle East are expected to be most at risk of food and water issues. Most current conflicts are based in Africa and the Middle East for varying reasons within the face of development and globalization. Stress for resources will not ease the potential for conflict in the future.
Bridal gowns for rent in Za'atari. Columbia University
The Problem with a Lost Generation The average stay in a refugee camp is now 17 years, according to the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees [7] This figure is mindblowing. Individuals could potentially spend their entire lives in a refugee camp, not knowing what life is like outside of one. By having to live in a refugee camp, refugees proceed with measures they may not under normal circumstances. The rates of children working of girls marrying at a young age are increased. For Syrian girls living in Jordan, the percentage married before the age of 18 rose from 12% in 2014 to 41% in 2017.[8] Although child marriage did occur in Syria at a rate of 13% pre-conflict, this number increases dramatically under the pressures of war, especially with a lacking of educational resources and increased poverty and gender disparities. Living in a refugee camp is the last option. Jobs and access to income are limited within one. Parents then may have trouble providing and looking after their children, and may decide that marriage would lead to safety and security for their female children. There are also gender disparities within the humanitarian process: it may be easier for men to leave Syria if they have a wife or family to care for, and men may gain sponsorship in a foreign host country more readily. Marrying at a young age cuts off girls from education and the opportunity to socialize with children their own age, and it puts them at increased risk of domestic violence and complications during pregnancy. A continued education is the best method for keeping young girls from marrying at a young age, and so consistent educational services should be made available, especially in refugee camps. For boys, the risk is usually child labor. Because refugees receive only one food card per month, usually less than 20$ for an entire family, children are sent to work to help support their family’s needs. This work is often physical labor, construction or janitorial work, and mind-numbing. Furthermore, the children are forced out of schools and into the workforce,
leaving their opportunities for future jobs limited. [9] In Za’atari, over 80 babies are born each week [10]. Children that grow up in refugee camps become stateless. The do not know the home their family has fled from, and they live in a host country that does not necessarily want them. The refugee camp is their home, one that exists on the verge of indefinite closure. A new generation is being born, and the impact that Za’atari might have on their lives could define their futures.
Idealistic vs Realistic An ideal solution in response to a refugee crisis of this scale would be to have a large, habitable space for refugees to go. A city, for example. Creating a new, permanent city, with services, jobs and opportunities, food security, an economy, a healthy outdoor environment, public space, and a thriving social network would be the perfect solution. However, building a new city takes time and an incredible amount of funding and resources, and it is not an attainable solution in regards to responding to an emergency situation. Despite the ongoing battle between temporary settlements and the issue of permanence, permanence should be more heavily considered as an option because it is a more viable and more sustainable option. Investing in a long term solution that fosters the livelihoods of residents is favorable to continuously funding an ongoing ‘temporary’ solution that needs continuous replacement. More durable and permanent housing and infrastructure would have benefits in the long run. More temporary shelters and services are designed to be temporary, yet, with prolonged need, shelters must be replaced. The causes of mass migration are unpredictable, and their ends are unpredictable as well. So, if the lifespan of a shelter is 12 months maximum, and the settlement has already been existing for 7 years, at what point are more long term solutions and investments considered, if not simply to save money and resources? An initial investment towards a durable solution would have been more sustainable, especially given that these products or resources have the potential to be dual purpose. Can the shelters be broken down and the materials reused? Can they be sold or recycled? What is the lasting impact? What can the site serve as if it is suddenly abandoned? Yet, it is because Za’atari already exists that these flaws and ideas become evident. These concepts can be applied toward future emergency
Champs Elysees, the street full of shops and businesses in Za'atari. Source unknown.
planning. But what can be done to mitigate the issues that are most prevalent in the existing camp? It is obvious that an investment in the built environment must be made, for the benefit of aid donors, stakeholders, and the refugees themselves. An improvement in long term housing is needed. An improvement in outdoor space is also needed. What is the transition from private to public space? How are services distributed? The design should respond to the immediate environment. The design should follow UN guidelines, but it should strive not just to meet the minimum requirements. It should be better. It should foster social connections, economy, and food sovereignty.
Children walk through Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya. Reuters / Jonathan Ernst
Creating Space The existing housing units are expensive and do not respond to the site conditions adequately. They should be upgraded or renovated in a way that makes them more inhabitable. More long term housing should be explored. Although a modular layout of housing is easily interpreted as a grid, as evidenced by the current layout of the camp, it does not need to be. The units can be arranged to create more proactive, usable space. They should be configured based on family size, extended family, and close relationships. The existing shelters can be easily moved to create a new formation. Any replacement shelters can build upon and improve these arrangements. There is a lack of distinctive outdoor space and shade is lacking if it exists at all. The goal with housing should be to provide more habitable, long term solutions, while also creating usable outdoor space. That new space can respond to land based needs of the user, such as sports, recreation, market or social gathering, and food production.
This family recycles water from bathing and cooking. Samuel Aranda, NYT
Wasted Water Although the location of Za’atari in northern Jordan is a relatively arid steppe environment, the aquifer below ground has been tapped for the purposes of supplying water to both the refugee camp and the nearby community. Water on the site is not managed efficiently, however. Water refill stations are often overflowing, and water waste is evidenced by muddy areas that can quickly become sewage. The WASH stations utilize water resources for sanitation purposes. Waste-water in 2012 was trucked away from the site daily.[11] Makeshift sewage canals have been dug to divert water away from housing units and communal spaces. Unless a new on site sewer system has been installed, these are both labor intensive and resource wasteful methods to deal with wastewater. During winter in an arid environment, and thus on this site, dry soils do not have the capacity to quickly absorb excess water. Former waterways that have been ignored in the layout and infrastructure of the camp flood with the barrage of rain or snow, leaving entire streets and shelters to stand in pools. If Jordan is a country with prevalent water scarcity, the actions and treatment of water in this refugee camp do not adhere to water-wise standards. There is evidently an abundance and excess of wasted water than can be integrated into a more sustainable, closed loop system.
A girl sits in the remains of a tree in Dadaab Refugee Camp. Brendan Bannon
Agroecological Potential Although the location of Za’atari in northern Jordan is a relatively arid steppe environment, the aquifer below ground has been tapped for the purposes of supplying water to both the refugee camp and the nearby community. Water on the site is not managed efficiently, however. Water refill stations are often overflowing, and water waste is evidenced by muddy areas that can quickly become sewage. The WASH stations utilize water resources for sanitation purposes. Waste-water in 2012 was trucked away from the site daily.[11] Makeshift sewage canals have been dug to divert water away from housing units and communal spaces. Unless a new on site sewer system has been installed, these are both labor intensive and resource wasteful methods to deal with wastewater. During winter in an arid environment, and thus on this site, dry soils do not have the capacity to quickly absorb excess water. Former waterways that have been ignored in the layout and infrastructure of the camp flood with the barrage of rain or snow, leaving entire streets and shelters to stand in pools. If Jordan is a country with prevalent water scarcity, the actions and treatment of water in this refugee camp do not adhere to water-wise standards. There is evidently an abundance and excess of wasted water than can be integrated into a more sustainable, closed loop system. There are examples of agroecological movements within existing refugee camps. The Olive Bus in the Zaizoun refugee camp in Daraa, Syria, is an educational service that attempts to offset the fact that over one third of Syrian children no longer have access to schools.[12] The bus provides a classroom setting, and is able to transport the children on field trips. The agricultural based field trips teach the children the importance of agriculture in their cultural heritage. Through this program, the children develop a positive relationship with the natural environment. Another example is the Lemon Tree Trust, a non-profit organization that strives to develop
infrastructural green space and urban agriculture in refugee camps in order to restore dignity, identity and purpose to refugees. [13] In Domiz Camp in Iraq, the Lemon Tree Trust has influenced the creation of individual gardens by providing seeds and trees, creating a garden competition, a liberation garden which grows fresh produce, and distributing crisis response garden kits. The Lemon Tree Trust works to empower women, and helps teach children about the importance of growing food. The organization is adamant about the positive benefits of green space on a war-torn population. The French Red Cross also distributed trees in the Domiz Refugee Camp as a component of their WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) program [14]. Robert Kruijt similarly advocates for increased green infrastructure and agriculture to occur within and surrounding the Za’atari Refugee Camp in a thesis project titled “Rightful Landscape.” [15] Andrew Adam-Bradford, who works at the Centre for Agroecology, Water, and Resilience at Coventry University, has performed extensive research on international development and humanitarian assistance.[16] His focus on stabilization agriculture, food security, urban environmental management, and post-conflict stabilization has lead to his proposal for agroforestry within refugee camps. He suggests that trees in refugee camps can provide multiple services to the refugee population that would help to mitigate suffering within the camps. Trees provide shade, fruit, nuts, firewood, building materials, fodder for livestock, bug deterrence, nectar for bees, and the removal of stagnant wastewater [17]. Agroforestry can work to help control erosion, land degradation, conserve energy, capture rainwater runoff, social protection, and provide therapeutic horticultural interventions, problems typically associated specifically with the existence refugee camps. Agroecology can further be implemented to fulfill the needs
of the refugees in a cost effective manner that also enables the refugees to gain a livelihood, source of income, and source of nutritious food.
A Syrian woman works with the Lemon Tree trust in Domiz, Iraq to promote gardens. Lemon Tree Trust
Approach The camp should be arranged in a way that respects the natural sloping topography of the site as well as existing drainage patterns. In order to restore local environmental systems, the rearrangement of the camp should be located away from the drainage channels. Modular neighborhood units delineated by the United Nations guidelines [18] can be moved away from these sensitive and resourceful areas. Once the drainage channels have been avoided and are free from buildings and housing units, the channels can instead be utilized as green space. During a rain event, this new arrangement will prevent flooding, and instead of excess water creating pools in roads and pathways because it has nowhere to go, the water is diverted to the channels. Planted waterways allows the trees to take up water and replenish the aquifer and connected water resources. Thus one version of a green infrastructure is created. In order to maximize the usability of these spaces, pathways along these greenways will remain. Homemade drainage channels have a place to empty into, and standing sewage can be remediated using natural processes. The greenways will not only be able to deal with seasonal water, but will be able to mitigate waste water on site. Trees planted in public space will provide shade, create a cooler microclimate, sequester carbon, and create a space that can be used for customizable recreation. Several species have been identified that are suitable to the region: Pistacia atlantica, Tamarix jordanis, Acacia pachyceras, Acacia farnesiana, Acacia tortilis, Balanites aegyptiaca, Capparis decidua, Capparis sicula, Cordia sinensis, Tipuana tipu, Ziziphus spina-christi. The area should not be limited to these species, as increased diversity provides additional benefits. In addition, locally identified or prefered species should be given priority.
Families will be given fruiting trees to supplement their food resources.
Lemon and other citrus are already important in local culture, and the fruit is highly valued. Other fruit bearing trees that can flourish in the environment and social system are mulberries, pomegranates, olives, figs, and pistachios. This makes the trees multifunctional. They will not only provide shade for individual homes and families, but they have an important function within the camp to provide an additional food source, or alternately a method by which to participate in the camp economy. Water and resources needed to sustain the trees can close loops of waste within the household, utilizing household waste water, or greywater, from daily functions such as washing dishes, hands, or clothing. Food scraps and nutrient dense waste can be composted and used to supplement the growing needs for the fruit trees. In this way, each tree planted taps into water and nutrient sources that are pre-existing and underutilized in the camp. The arrangement of family dwellings into small communities creates shared outdoor space between buildings. This new outdoor area, a threshold between the private and public realms, can be interpreted by the user for their needs. If children need outdoor play space then there is a usable space to pick up a game of soccer between neighbors. It can be a place for adults to socialize and partake in rituals such as drinking tea or it can be for families to eat food together. As mandated by the UN guidelines, there should be space in which to grow food for each household. The UN mandates in the emergency guidelines that each person be alloted 45m2 within the camp, to include housing, roads, services, and other needs. Current housing units occupy a 15m2 surface area. The guidelines also designates 15m2 of the 45m2 for household gardens. So, each person within a household should be assigned a garden plot 3m x 5m in size.[19] In Za’atari, space to garden has not been delineated, assigned, or the resources to do so have not been provided. Either way, household gardens within the camp are not the norm.
The camp setup in Za’atari simply does not follow the emergency planning standards.
A date farm in the desert. Dates have been part of Middle Eastern culture for centuries. CabinOrganic
Benefits Dispersed agricultural space throughout the neighborhood fabric will ease dependence on foreign aid donations. Since many of the refugees originate from farming provinces around Daraa, Syria, and claim agriculture as a former profession, there is extensive knowledge about farming practices already. With an altered microclimate, wasted water sources, a lack of employment opportunity, and a need for fresh, nutritious food, there is a dire need for sustainable farming practices to take place within the camp. Food vouchers are the current method of food aid in the camp, and the system operates similarly to the United State’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), in which a voucher or card is loaded with a set monetary value and the user can spend it on food items and other necessities at participating locations. In Za’atari, the value of the food vouchers averages to approximately $20 USD per person per month [20]. However, the World Food Programme (WFP), which provides the vouchers, does not have a secure source of funding to provide them. In fact, the WFP has had precedents of funding cuts, resulting in a reduction of the size of food aid packages, and in some cases, aid has been cut completely.[21] The inconsistency of funding for necessities makes aid unreliable and unsecure. Establishing agricultural freedom in the refugee camp would break the need for a dependence on aid in the first place, by supplying food needs in the camp with food produced in the camp. In this way, refugees take the power back into their own hands, and are able to depend on themselves for their own needs. Food security can be established within the camp. Other sectors are also benefited by new agricultural arrangements. Fresh harvested foods can be made into food products that can be sold for profit. Specialty items such as honey, eggs, and cheese can be produced
Hsar Doe lived in a refugee camp for 15 years. He is now the site manager of a farm in Cleveland. Angelo Merendino
with the addition of beekeeping and livestock such as chickens and goats. The individuals who were previously farmers can return to work with their skillsets. In this way, they can preserve their profession, as well as family traditions in farming, while also creating a new economic sector. In turn, by giving refugees the opportunity to return to work and feed their families, these individuals can recover their dignity. Rather than allowing skilled labor to languish, it should be put to use to benefit the community and the individual. Restoring a sense of pride, care, and ownership in work and in the individual’s role in the community can restore dignity. The individual can play a role that contributes to society; their role benefits others. This can help to contribute to a meaningful life.
Repatriation process. Ashley Hamer
Concluding Thoughts In setting out to improve the condition of some of the most dysfunctional living spaces on earth, many issues presented themselves. But the solutions are simple, at least in theory. The theory must guide the design however, and if the constructs behind the design are missing, the outcome can have dire consequences on the lives of those most in need. The arrangement of public spaces impacts the well being of residents and their access to services. Simple fundamental changes such as increased access to food, shade, multifunctional public spaces, improved economic opportunity, social communities, sustainable motivators, and gender empowerment, can change the lives of many and help shape future generations. There must be motivators in place to design for positive impact, and the motivators start in public policy and framing. Reframing guidelines to be more holistic needs to be the starting point.
Resources [1] Stefano Scavino, “The Summerisation of Jordanian Shelters: Permanent impermanence in the design of refugee camps,” (September 30 2014): 1-178. https://issuu.com/scavinos/ docs/the_summerization_stampa2 [2] UNHCR, “Refugees in the Horn of Africa: Somali Displacement Crisis: Dadaab” (May 18 2018). https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/horn?id=3&country=110 [3] UNHCR, “Situation Refugee Response in Bangladesh” (May 31 3018). https://data2. unhcr.org/en/situations/myanmar_refugees [4] [5] AFP, “UN refugee agency unveils Palestinian archive” (December 01 2013). http:// alray.ps/en/index.php?act=post&id=2581#.WxoLFi_MzR1 [6] Tom Gjelten, “The World in 2030: Asia Rises, The West Declines,” National Public Radio (December 10 2012). https://www.npr.org/2012/12/10/166895624/the-world-in-2030asia-rises-the-west-declines [7] UNHCR, “Resolve conflicts or face surge in life-long refugees worldwide, warns UNHCR Special Envoy” (June 20 2014). [8] “Child Marriage In Humanitarian Settings,” Girls Not Brides. (October 2017): 1-7. https:// www.girlsnotbrides.org/resource-centre/child-marriage-in-humanitarian-crises/ [9] [10] Toby Fricker, “What It’s Like for Syrian Kids to Grow Up In A Refugee Camp,” HuffPost. (August 03 2017). https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/unicef-canada/what-its-likefor-syrian-kids-to-grow-up-in-a-refugee-camp_a_23058832/ [11] Alison Ledwith, Adam Smith, “Zaatari: The Instant City” An Affordable Housing Institute Publication (2014): 1-96 [12] Ansar Jasim, “Agriculture and Food Sovereignty in Syria,” (October 4 2017). https:// lb.boell.org/en/2017/10/04/agriculture-and-food-sovereignty-syria
[13] Julia Travers, “Community and Vegetables Grow Side-By-Side In Syrian Refugee Camp Gardens” National Public Radio (February 22 2018). [14] Andrew Adam-Bradford, “Agroforestry for Refugee Camps,” Agriculture for Development vol. 28 no. 2 (2016): 1-3. [15] Robert Kruijt, “Rightful Landscape: A response to an unexpectedly long stay in the Zaatari camp” (December 2014): 1-157. https://www.wur.nl/upload_mm/a/2/0/bb0167df9349-4b13-8e45-a80ba35cb63d_RKruijt-report-s.pdf [16] [17] Andrew Adam-Bradford, “Agroforestry for Refugee Camps,” Agriculture for Development vol. 28 no. 2 (2016): 1-3. [18] [19] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , “Site Planning for Camps,” UNHCR Emergency Handbook ver. 1.2 (May 05 2018): 1-8. [20] [21] “UN food relief agency boosts value of vouchers for Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon,” UN News (October 28 2015). https://news.un.org/en/story/2015/10/513982-unfood-relief-agency-boosts-value-vouchers-syrian-refugees-jordan-and-lebanon