Citation

Maiteh SM, Szeréna Zoltán E. Int. J. Disaster Risk Reduct. 2023; 95: e103879.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.103879

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Refugee camps are temporary settlements built to accommodate individuals who have been displaced due to conflict, persecution, or other reasons. The built environment of refugee camps can vary greatly depending on factors such as location, funding, and cultural background of the refugees. Today 22% of the world's displaced population settles in camps. The quality of the built environment in refugee camps can significantly impact the well-being of residents, including their physical and mental health, as well as their ability to access education and job opportunities. Therefore, the design and development of refugee camps must prioritise the needs and safety of residents. The study aims to give insight into the design characteristics concerning United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) standards. It examines the dominant urban practice used in refugee camp design between 1971 and 2018 by using descriptive comparative analysis of refugee camps' contextual, population, and built environment characteristics and studies their state with refugee camp design standards set by the (UNHCR). The study indicates significant discrepancies between design guidelines and cases and suggests using the constructed numerical database as a base for the future development of design standards.

Language: en

Keywords

Descriptive analysis; Emergency settlement; Human habitat; Refugee camp; Sheltering