WORLD OF CAMPS
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Reviews

Katerina Holeckova
MSF midwife at maternity unit in Domiz
On our way to the Domiz camp we pass through the city, we see people rushing to work, children fooling around in school busses on their way to school. It´s busy in front of the camp, cars going there and back, people crossing the way. Just behind the gate, there is a small market, empty (for the moment), just a few salesmen are unpacking vegetables. We turn to the middle of the camp on a muddy road lined by various shops with wedding dresses, cell phones, candy store, shawarma stores. There is also a “pet shop” with budgerigars. .. read more
Mashalla
A Kurdish-Syrian MSF Health Promoter
My name is Mashallah. I am a Kurd from Syria. I’m the mother of four and I’m married. I’m originally from Derek but I grew up in Damascus. My home is Damascus. My husband was an artist. He was a music teacher. He was doing business trades, too. We had a very good life in Syria. We were happy. We had our own house. .. read more
Midia
Tailor living in Domiz camp
I had to leave Qamishli in 2012. There was no work, no services, no electricity. I had to abandon my house, my shop and all my belongings. My son Reyan was  only few months old at that time and had to be carried. I walked a few hours with him on my back. .. read more
Nisreen
MSF Health Promoter
No one helped us when we arrived here. Like them we lived in tents with no water or electricity and we had to share the toilets with dozens of others. After four years spent at Domiz, my family was granted permission to build a rudimentary concrete shelter. .. read more

65,6 million people had to flee in 2017

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Welcome to the World of Camps website. This website was created to raise awareness about people’s living conditions in refugee camps. The website looks like a travel site but it is not a real booking site. The information comes from Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) platforms and publications, as well as MSF staff and MSF patients living and working in refugee camps.

   FAQ for WORLD OF CAMPS

1. Why have you chosen to present refugee camps in a travel website format?  

1. Why have you chosen to present refugee camps in a travel website format? 

Many of us use travel websites to find the best options for our holidays and discover practical information about the places we plan to visit. This website uses a travel website format - a format often utilized by many consumers as a luxury of choice - as an opportunity to find out about places we are less likely to visit: the refugee camps which host people who have no other options or alternatives. Our aim is to raise awareness about the lives of refugees, noting their reasons for being forced to flee or migrate from their home countries and noting how many of them are being forced to stay in deplorable conditions because of a range of barriers.

2. Do you want me to visit the refugee camps? 

2. Do you want me to visit the refugee camps?

No. The aim is not for you to visit the camps in person, but to understand the challenges faced by people living and working in them.

3. Why does Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) take care of refugees and why has it created this website? 

3. Why does Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) take care of refugees and why has it created this website?

Médecins Sans Frontières provides assistance for people in distress and for the victims of conflict, disease outbreaks and natural and manmade disasters. As a medical humanitarian organization, many of our projects are located in refugee or internal displaced camps across the globe. We try to provide the people with everything they need from psychological care to lifesaving nutrition, including setting up hospitals in refugee camps, helping women give birth safely, vaccinating children to prevent epidemics, and providing access to safe drinking water. We also work to raise awareness and encourage debate about humanitarian crises. One of our core principles is to speak out about the plight of the people we help. We created this website to raise awareness about the issues facing refugees.

4. Does this website provide a service to people who are seeking refuge? 

4. Does this website provide a service to people who are seeking refuge?

People running away from danger very often do not have the choice or resources to decide where they will go, and therefore they flee to the nearest and safest place. Some people cannot even move freely. The aim of this website is to simply show the complexity and conditions a refugee’s life in camps: their living conditions, the decisions people take before they flee, and other matters related to living and surviving in a camp.

5. Where did you get the information for this website? 

5. Where did you get the information for this website?

The information on the website came from MSF staff and MSF patients in each of the selected refugee camps, as well as information shared by MSF.

6. Why did you select these particular camps? 

6. Why did you select these particular camps?

We chose these particularly camps in different countries to highlight the similarities and differences between refugees’ experiences across continents. Each camp has a unique character and context. Shatila, in Lebanon, was established in 1949, making it one of the world’s longest-established refugee camps. Dadaab, in Kenya, is one of the biggest camps in the world akin to a complex of refugee camps; Domiz, in Iraq, is one of the newest, constantly evolving; Nduta, in Tanzania, is one of the least known, away from the media spotlight. Finally, the settlements on the refugee trail through Greece and Serbia show the contemporary face of refugee camps in 21st century Europe.

7. Why should I care? 

7. Why should I care?

Millions of people across the world have been forced to leave their homes due to wars, political unrest, natural disasters or extreme poverty. Like everyone else, they have dreams, ambitions, concerns, needs and desires. Anyone can be a refugee regardless of their background. At MSF, we believe that every person deserves dignity, medical care and the recognition of their humanity, and we hope that you believe it too.

8. I want to help – what can I do? 

8. I want to help – what can I do?

MSF teams are providing care for refugees all around the world and you can help by supporting our work. There are lots of ways you can support us: by volunteering to join our teams, by donating money to MSF, by raising awareness about the issues facing refugees, or by discussing the topic with friends and family. You can also support other humanitarian organisations which deliver aid to refugees. If you like this website, please share it on social media. You can also follow MSF on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. Every type of support counts. Many refugees live in difficult conditions, frequently without sufficient food, water, shelter or medical care. Our MSF teams working in refugee camps around the world provide these essentials. For that aid to continue, we rely on support and funding from the public. Please consider clicking on the donation button and giving what you can to support our work or view links to other MSF websites about the topic.

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