Resident children suffer more than refugee children in a non-camp setting

Health problems related to the internal displacement of people have been studied mainly in camp settings, and international organisations have focused on the displaced people. In the early phases of conflicts and emergencies, however, non-camp settings mixing residents and refugees are common. On p 878, Aaby et al describe the health consequences during the recent war in Guinea-Bissau in a non-camp setting when people left the capital and moved in with residents. The international agencies targeted only refugees for assistance. Although resident families comsumed more food than refugee families, resident children became more malnourished and had a fourfold higher mortality than the refugee children. When the refugees returned home, nutritional status improved and mortality declined significantly among both groups. Owing to changes in disease exposure and treatment practices, emergencies may thus affect more than displaced people.

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Relevant Article

Nutritional status and mortality of refugee and resident children in a non-camp setting during conflict: follow up study in Guinea-Bissau

Peter Aaby, Joaquim Gomes, Manuel Fernandes, Queba Djana, Ida Lisse, and Henrik Jensen
BMJ 1999 319: 878. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]