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One of the first things that happens at the start of fighting is that families, even whole towns, move away to escape war and violence. They need to move to a place where there is no killing and no destruction. Sometimes, when their rivals take over their area, they force the people to relocate. Other times, people flee in fear of the rivals.
So, large numbers of people move from one place to another. They sometimes even end up in a different country!
People who move from their home to another area in their country to escape conflict are called displaced persons. If they cross into another country, they are called refugees.
Usually the new hosts don’t have enough space to house these people. Often the best the hosts can do is to set up tents in large fields. These makeshift and temporary settlements are called refugee camps.
Living conditions in these camps can be very harsh because people don’t have access to schools, hospitals, stores, electricity and sewerage systems. About 35 million people around the world live like this. Some people have been living in refugee camps all their lives, and have even given birth to their children there. They have been permanently driven out of their homes, neighborhoods and towns. Because there was no place for them to go, these camps have become their permanent homes.
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