Introduction

Conflicts and disasters—whether manufactured or natural—often result in the wide scale displacement of people. This may be as a result of destruction of homes and environment, religious or political persecution, or simply economic necessity. Some remain internally displaced within the borders of their own country, if not their own region or homeland. Others will cross international borders as refugees. (A refugee is legally defined as someone who has crossed an international border to escape actual or potential persecution.)

Whatever the reason for displacement, the resulting mass of vulnerable people, most of whom may be women and children, must be accommodated somewhere, be it in tented camps, semipermanent or permanent collective centres or settlements, or even private residences.

Camp for refugees and internally displaced people

For healthcare professionals contributing to humanitarian missions and projects in the acute phase of population displacement, an awareness of some of the factors that can influence the long term outcomes can be of great benefit for understanding project implications and sustainability.

Issues in humanitarian responses

Humanitarian responses can be considered under the phases of early or emergency, post-emergency or intermediate, and resettlement or long term (these phases overlap and are not necessarily sequential). This article focuses on continued responses in the long term resettlement phase.