ABSTRACT In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan 1979, more than 3 million people fled to Pakistan, another 2.3 million Afghans fled into the Islamic Republic of Iran. Through the end of the 1980s and beyond, the Middle East had become an area with one of the largest refugee populations worldwide. With a focus on Afghan refugees and based on archival research, the paper investigates the structures, actors and practices of the global refugee regime since the 1980s against the backdrop of Cold War History. First, the broad international context as well as the politicisation, ‘Islamisation’ and militarisation of Afghan refugee society will be outlined. Second, actors and practices of humanitarian aid in the Afghan-Pakistani borderlands will be analysed. The main focus here will be on the work of the UNHCR and European NGOs, especially West German organisations, their links with Afghan diaspora networks as well as their cooperation with French and Swedish partners. Their strategies for transnational networking, cooperation and competition will be examined, along with their attitude towards attempts to exercise political and ideological influence. Third, the paper will look at how individual actors and personal and institutional networks have sought to channel the lessons learned from their work in the refugee camps into the global discourse surrounding the root causes of refugee movements, prevention strategies and internationally binding rules governing the deployment of aid organisations in war zones. My paper concludes with the proposition that the history of humanitarian interventionism, was moved on significantly, both politically and legally, as a result of this.

While studies in both high- and low-income settings have demonstrated the importance of early and regular antenatal care (ANC) utilization, evidence from crisis-affected populations remains limited. Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, face unique barriers to healthcare; previous studies have found low rates of ANC utilization. This study examines the predictors of number of visits and timing of initiation of ANC among pregnant Rohingya women in Cox's Bazar. Data came from a prenatal birth cohort study of "Intergenerational Risk and Resilience of Rohingya in Displacement" (iRRRd). Women (N = 2,322) were recruited during pregnancy between 2023 and 2024. ANC utilization was assessed via surveys at the birth follow-up visit with 2,065 new mothers. Primary outcomes included the number of ANC visits and the timing of the first visit. Predictors were categorized using the Andersen-Newman model (predisposing, enabling, and need factors). We used Poisson regression for number of visits, and logistic regression to analyze timing of first visit. The average number of ANC visits was 6.9 (SD = 2.6), with only 19.2% of women delaying care until after the first trimester. Women with one to three children reported fewer visits (IRR = 0.94, p = 0.01), as did those with more than three (IRR = 0.91, p = 0.02). Women with more years of education also showed higher number of visits (IRR = 1.015, p = 0.02) and higher likelihood of first trimester initiation (aOR = 0.891, p = 0.02) of ANC. More freedom of movement was associated with lower likelihood of delaying care (aOR = 0.871, p = 0.03), whereas higher self-rated health predicted delayed initiation (aOR = 1.187, p = 0.01). Socioeconomic indicators and education of relatives were not associated with ANC use. Receiving information via radio was unexpectedly associated with delayed initiation (aOR = 1.534, p = 0.03). Location of residence explained minimal variance (2%). ANC coverage in the Rohingya camps appears high, yet some groups remain at risk for delayed care. Feeling healthy, high parity, and restricted mobility contributed to late initiation. Conventional predictors like household resources showed limited relevance in this context. Further work is needed to better understand the quality of services and effective communication strategies to address remaining underutilization of ANC.

A feasibility study for utilisation of legumes as sustainable protein-rich food in a refugee camp

Spatial transformation of shelters in Zaatari refugee camp: informing shelter guidelines

Background: Humanitarian aid workers are vital members of the health workforce in all nations globally; however, they work in extreme conditions with little to no mental health support programs. This research aimed to respond to this gap by assessing the mental health and burnout among humanitarian aid workers in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional design combining both qualitative and quantitative methods. A sample of 129 was derived using Fisher’s exact test. Bivariate analysis was conducted to assess the objectives, and multivariate analysis was implemented on statistically significant variables (p<0.05), as well as controlling for confounders. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Results: The prevalence of burnout was 65.1%, depression 56%, and anxiety was 64.2%. The presence of extreme climatic conditions and poor security (AOR=2.6; 95% CI; 2.32-5.72; p=0.001) increased the odds of depression, while receiving a fair salary reduced the odds (AOR=0.5; 95% CI; 0.03-0.62; p=0.002). Perceived equal access to mental health support programs (AOR=0.5; 95% CI; 0.17-0.65; p=0.03) and awareness of such programs (AOR=0.4; 95% CI; 0.12-0.63; p=0.01) were associated with reduced odds of depression. Conclusions: The study revealed that aid workers faced significant mental health challenges arising from a combination of organizational and environmental factors. Extreme climatic conditions, poor security, and long working hours heightened psychological distress, whereas fair pay and awareness of support systems acted as protective factors. The study recommends multi-sectoral collaboration, the implementation of mental health programs within the camp, and further research to address aid workers’ needs in high-stress settings such as Kakuma Camp.

Abstract In the wake of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland received the greatest number of refugees. While for some it was a transit country and a significant number returned to Ukraine following the stabilisation of the front, nearly one million refugees remained in Poland on a long-term basis. The majority were women with children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It was the gravest humanitarian crisis in Poland’s post-World War II history. The existing Polish reception infrastructure for refugees proved entirely inadequate to accommodate such a large and sudden arrival of people. Under a special law on assistance to refugees from Ukraine, the Polish government introduced alternative forms of short- and long-term accommodation that departed from the traditional model of refugee camps. These included shelters at reception points, collective accommodation centres, and subsidised hosting in private homes. This article aims to critically evaluate this refugee housing governance, with particular emphasis on collective accommodation facilities and private hosting arrangements in Polish households. The study draws on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Western Poland between 2022 and 2025. The issues are presented in a process-oriented manner, taking into account the evolution of legal regulations which at some point led to refugee commodification and overlapping of the schemes.

BackgroundPremenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common menstruation-related condition among adolescent girls. Vulnerability to environmental and social factors such as living under war, exposure to political violence (EPV), and human insecurity significantly influence the health and well-being of adolescents more generally. However, research on the association between PMS and social determinants in conflict settings remains limited. This study aimed to identify the severity of PMS and its association with EPV, human insecurity, and well-being among adolescent girls in Palestine refugee camps in the West Bank.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 1,399 girls aged 15–18 years residing in 19 Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory. PMS severity was measured using a scale developed based on the literature, expert input, and the girls’ experiences, comprising two categories: “none to mild” and “moderate to severe.” EPV was assessed based on past experiences at individual, familial, collective, and cumulative levels. Multivariate analyses were conducted using five regression models with a primary focus on the relationship between PMS severity and EPV.ResultsThe prevalence of PMS with at least one symptom was 92.1%. PMS severity was positively associated with collective EPV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1–2.1), whereas individual and familial EPV were only significant when included separately in the model. Girls who experienced two or three types of cumulative EPV (AOR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.6–3.7) were more likely to experience severe PMS. High levels of human insecurity (AOR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0–1.6) and depression-like symptoms (AOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3–2.7) were significantly associated with PMS severity.ConclusionsThe results demonstrate a significant association between PMS severity and EPV, human insecurity, and low levels of well-being. These findings suggest that prolonged occupation and unresolved conflict may adversely impact adolescent health and exacerbate PMS symptoms, highlighting the need to recognize PMS as a public health concern. In protracted conflict settings, integrating psychosocial support and menstrual health education into schools and community-based programs such as primary healthcare facilities may help adolescent girls manage PMS, menstruation-related symptoms, and associated stressors more effectively.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-025-02104-z.

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness that affects 2–3% of the general population and can make everyday life very difficult. An expanding corpus of epidemiological, theoretical, and clinical evidence demonstrates a significant association between particular symptoms of OCD and traumatic experiences or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We discuss the case of a 43-year-old Syrian refugee who developed severe contamination-related OCD following a prolonged period of untreated PTSD symptoms. The patient displayed incapacitating washing behaviors in a refugee camp marked by limited water access. She got the right medicine and therapy, but her symptoms only got better for a short time. A lot of interviews showed that she had been through a lot of hard times, like seeing her brothers die and being sexually assaulted. The patient's OCD symptoms appeared to be an unproductive method for managing PTSD intrusions. They helped with emotional pain, but they also made things worse in a lot of ways. This case illustrates the complex interplay and possible reciprocal compensation between OCD and PTSD symptoms, highlighting the need for integrated therapeutic approaches rather than treating OCD in isolation. It also talks about mental contamination, which is when you feel dirty just by touching something. We need to do more research to learn more about the link between OCD and PTSD, how to spot them better, and whether there should be a certain type of OCD that happens after trauma.

In this paper we discuss a journey through different collective singing experiences held between 2019 and 2023 in Lebanon, Mozambique, Benin, and Greece. It is an autoethnographic work that includes the short-term participant observation of a choir in a context of conflicting neighbourhoods (Lebanon); the long-term experience of teaching choirs in a musical project aiming at social integration (Mozambique); the short-term experience of leading musical activities in a project for orphaned children rescued from voodoo convents (Benin); and the medium-term experience of facilitating music sessions in an organization working with people living in refugee camps (Greece). Ethics of care emerged as an inspiration for reformulating previous European choir tradition practices, adapting it to the reality of each context and supporting the overall experience. Starting from an idea of choir rooted in our European background, this journey transformed our perception of collective singing communities and how we can nurture well-being and build a sense of care within groups. Assuming different types of leadership, adapting the communication to specific circumstances, and being aware of opposite needs for continuity were the main strategies involved in making each experience a unique act of care.

School Counselors’ Preparedness and Supervisory Needs for Supporting Diabetic Children in Refugee Camp Schools: Qualitative Insights from Jordan

This qualitative study explored the dimensions of psychic restructuring (PR) in trauma recovery among Sri Lankan Tamil refugee women. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 women residing at refugee camps in southern India; the acquired data was analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. PR encompasses positive, negative, and neutral dimensions; it comprises the changes in social dynamics, healing of psychic wounds, and reunification of the individual and collective psyches. Its key positive dimensions included symbolic representations, channeling the attitudes and victimization experiences, and positive self-concept. Findings highlight the critical role of innovative PR-based mental health interventions in empowering refugee women by enhancing self-representation and agency.

ABSTRACT This article surveys the Belarusian refugee and émigré periodicals in the collection from the estate of Valentyna and Michael Pashkievich at the University of Toronto Libraries. The article focuses on post-Second World War publications, examining the historical context and themes of publishing from displaced persons camps. The second half of the article addresses early Cold War Belarusian émigré publishing in Canada, focusing on the newspaper Belaruski Emihrant (Belarusian emigrant).

Despite decades of rhetoric around localisation and inclusion, mainstream humanitarian and development systems continue to marginalise refugees, relegating them to passive recipients of aid rather than recognising them as capable leaders and innovators. This article critiques the entrenched architecture of exclusion that defines much of global aid practice, arguing that meaningful reform must begin with re-centring refugees as agents of change. Drawing on recent evidence from refugee-led organisations (RLOs) such as the Vijana Twaweza Community (VTC) in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, the article showcases the productivity, contextual intelligence, and transformative potential of refugee-led development, particularly in sustainable agriculture. It highlights how RLOs are already filling critical gaps left by international actors, despite facing legal, financial, and structural barriers. The article explores how scalable, tech-enabled knowledge sharing could support the growth of such initiatives and calls for a fundamental shift in how resources are distributed and how refugees are included. Ultimately, it argues that empowering RLOs is not only a moral imperative but a pragmatic strategy for a more effective and just humanitarian future. The real question is no longer whether refugees can lead, but whether the sector is willing to follow.

This study explores the challenges affecting unaccompanied refugee children in Jewi refugee camp, located in Gambella, Ethiopia, and it examines the institutional responses to these challenges. Employing a constructivist philosophical stance and a single case study design, the research utilized purposive sampling to collect data from unaccompanied children, their caregivers, and social work practitioners. Data were collected through interviews with twenty unaccompanied refugee children and five key informants, supplemented by a focus group discussion involving twenty-four children, equally divided by gender (twelve males and twelve females). Thematic analysis identified tribal conflict, geographical proximity, and family disintegration as the primary drivers of child migration to Ethiopia. Although the children have access to education and basic healthcare, the findings indicate persistent hardships. These include environmental and psychological challenges, restrictions on extracurricular engagement, cultural disparities, rigid gender norms, limited training opportunities, and inadequacies in health services. The study advocates for sustained stakeholder engagement to safeguard child rights and facilitate family reunification. It also calls for unified coordination among service providers to enhance their delivery mechanisms. Additional recommendations include gender-sensitivity training, psychosocial support, and vocational programs for refugee children.

BackgroundThe ongoing mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) resulted in >71,000 suspected cases from 01 January 2024 to 02 February 2025. Clade Ib mpox virus (MPXV) emergence has heightened public health concern due to observed sustained human-human transmission and spread to multiple non-endemic East African countries. Clade Ib outbreaks have been marked by epidemiologic deviations from classic Clade Ia zoonotic transmission—Clade Ib instead has been observed among adult populations and transmission via sexual contact. With the continued expansion of Clade Ib across the region, containment and mitigation measures may need to be adapted to best fit this novel MPXV clade.MethodsCase investigation and epidemiological assessment data as well as whole viral geonome sequencing was analyzed from confirmed mpox infected individuals in the Goma region. Case demographics and clinical presentation data was also assessed from suspected mpox cases in the region.ResultsWe report the first introduction of Clade Ib into North Kivu province through close contact transmission. We also report limited human-human Clade Ib transmission chains among children <15 years in the Mudja internal displaced persons camp. We further present evidence of APOBEC3 mutations and genomic links between these North Kivu cases with the larger ongoing Clade Ib outbreak in Kamituga, South Kivu.ConclusionsGiven the expansion of regional mpox outbreaks and populations considered at-risk, these findings underscore how mpox case investigations and community messaging should include considerations for non-sexual human-human transmission of Clade Ib that includes children <15 years.

Background: The refugee situation in which the Sahrawi people live entails precarious policies, services, and care systems. People with disabilities suffer even more from this situation, seeing their quality of life diminished. Purpose: To evaluate the personal outcomes related to the quality of life of the students at the special education school in Auserd. Method: The KidsLife and KidsLife TEA questionnaires were administered to the 26 students from the special education center during March 2019. Findings: The results obtained from 100% of the participants display percentiles below the minimum values of the scale, with the most positive scores found in the Emotional Well-being domain and the least positive in the Social Inclusion domain. Conclusions: The quality of life of the students at the special education center in Auserd has deteriorated due to the social, environmental, and political factors they face. Furthermore, it is necessary to have tools adapted to the context.

This study explores the role of social support and resilience in mitigating psychological distress among refugees adjusting to new cultural environments. The research focuses on refugees residing in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan and those recently migrated from Pakistan to Afghanistan. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative measures of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) and resilience with qualitative interviews to explore refugees' lived experiences. The results indicate significant negative correlations between social support and psychological distress, with resilience acting as a significant mediator. Specifically, higher levels of family and community support were associated with reduced depression (r = -0.58, p &lt; 0.01), anxiety (r = -0.62, p &lt; 0.01), and stress (r = -0.59, p &lt; 0.01). Resilience was found to significantly reduce distress, with a higher RSA score (M = 69.4, SD = 12.3) correlating with lower levels of psychological distress. Multiple regression analysis revealed that resilience and family support were the strongest predictors of mental health outcomes, with family support reducing depression by 0.29 (p &lt; 0.01) and anxiety by 0.32 (p &lt; 0.01). The study highlights the importance of strengthening social support networks, particularly family ties, to enhance resilience and reduce psychological distress in refugee populations. These findings inform targeted mental health interventions for refugees.

This study explores receiving maternal health care (MHC) and associated factors among the Rohingya refugee women living in the camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, amidst a backdrop of severe challenges, including high maternal mortality rates and limited healthcare access. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 415 refugee women in Camp-4, located in the Kutupalong Mega area in Cox's Bazar. Data were collected using a structured, pretested, and facilitator-administered questionnaire. Of the Rohingya refugee women, 297 (71.57%) had at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits, 247 (59.5%) gave birth to the last baby in a place with an adequate facility, and 288 (69.4%) reported that the skilled birth attendants (SBAs) were present during the previous delivery. Moreover, 331 (79.8%) received postnatal care (PNC), while 314 (28.7%) had a PNC visit with a doctor or healthcare provider. Above all, half of them (51%) received adequate maternal health care (MHC), such as medical facilities during delivery, postnatal visit, etc. Bivariate analysis shows that the status is highly significant in all aspects of the Rohingya refugee women's receiving ANC, pregnancy, and PNC through exposure to maternal health information and services. Nagelkerke R2 value shows that the Rohingya women's exposure to maternal health information and services appeared as stronger predictors than socioeconomic variables for receiving MHC. The result of multivariate logistic regression depicts that younger age among refugee women (AOR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88-0.98), having greater land ownership in Myanmar (AOR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01-1.13), receiving consultation with a skilled health care provider about maternal, sexual, and reproductive health (MSRH) (AOR = 5.22, 95% CI: 2.18-12.), participating in an awareness program about MSRH (AOR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.08-3.61), and understanding MSRH messages (AOR = 5.31, 95% CI: 2.63-10.69) had a significantly higher association with receiving MHC. Maternal health information and services have a significant influence on receiving maternal health care. Accordingly, this study highlights the importance of strengthening maternal health interventions, as it is challenging to alter their socioeconomic status within existing settings.

Global social work research has been predominantly influenced by Eurocentric paradigms, leading to the coloniality of knowledge production. This article reflects on the processes and methods used in mixed-methods research – guided by the African philosophy of Ubuntu as the theoretical framework – on intimate partner violence among women in refugee camps in Ghana. The research shows that community stakeholder consultations, use of local languages, use of talking circles, and integration of community perspectives in research can serve to decolonise. The article offers valuable insights into why social work researchers globally should adopt a decolonising approach to avoid coloniality of knowledge production.

ABSTRACT In Jordan, Syrian refugee camps are restricted areas that are inaccessible without official entry permission. As the humanitarian-development apparatus-often referred to as ‘research brokers’-facilitates most academics’ access to the camps, questions of power, ethics and exclusion arise. This paper first examines how a researcher’s access is shaped by their positionality, showing how asymmetric academic hierarchies between the so-called global South and North determine who is enabled to produce knowledge, and thus to publish. Second, it considers how the conditions of surveillance and control within camps-structured by NGO gatekeeping and state policing-shape the kinds of knowledge produced. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in refugee camps and interviews with researchers, it analyzes the different pathways scholars-including myself-navigated to gain access and problematizes the regulation and ownership of that access. It asks how such development-academic (un)partnerships affect the decolonization of knowledge production in encamped refugee studies, revealing the intersecting nexus between academia, the state, and the humanitarian sector, given that the latter act simultaneously as facilitators and gatekeepers of research. The article calls for a more inclusive and reflexive approach to knowledge production in refugee camps, attentive to constraints on methodology, timelines, ethics and the depth of engagement with refugees.