The Rapid Assessment of Health Problems in Refugee and Displaced Populations
نویسنده
چکیده
number of ethnic conflicts in diverse regions 2~ of the world have forced millions of civilians to flee their homes and seek refuge in other areas of their country or in neighboring countries. This "epidemic" of population displacement has placed great burdens on both host countries and the international community as they struggle to provide protection and assistance. More than ever before, there is an urgent need to develop and implement appropriate methods of rapidly assessing the public health needs of displaced populations. Prior to the end of the cold war, most acute public health emergencies created by mass population movements involved persons who crossed international borders to escape political persecution or civil war. Once safely in the country of asylum, these refugees were usually afforded the protection and assistance of the international community through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Since 1990, however, acute mass population migrations have occurred in increasingly complex and dangerous environments where the displaced populations often remain trapped in their own countries and the traditional international conventions on the rights of refugees do not apply. In many countries, such as Liberia (1990), Somalia (1992), southern Sudan (1992 94), Angola (1992-94), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-94), Afghanistan (1993-94), Burundi (1993), and Rwanda (1994), governance has collapsed, resulting in widespread anarchy, banditry, and violence. Nevertheless, the number of dependent refugees under the protection and care of UNHCR has steadily increased from approximately 3 million in 1975 to more than 22 mil
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