Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.
Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556.
Am J Hum Biol. 2018 Jan;30(1). doi: 10.1002/ajhb.23060. Epub 2017 Oct 4.
Refugee camps are often assumed to negatively impact local host communities through resource competition and conflict. We ask instead whether economic resources and trade networks associated with refugees have benefits for host community health and nutrition. To address this question we assess the impacts of Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya, comparing anthropometric indicators of nutritional status between Turkana communities in the region.
Participants were recruited at four sites in Turkana County (N = 586): Kakuma Town, adjacent to Kakuma Refugee Camp; Lorugum, an area with sustained economic development; Lokichoggio, formerly host to international NGOs, and now underdeveloped; and Lorengo, an undeveloped, rural community. We evaluated nutritional status using summed skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI). Structured interviews provided contextual data.
Age-controlled multiple regression models reveal two distinct skinfold thickness profiles for both sexes: comparatively elevated values in Kakuma and Lorugum, and significantly lower values in Lorengo and Lokichoggio. BMI did not vary significantly by location. Despite better nutritional status, a large proportion of Kakuma residents still report worries about basic needs, including hunger, health, and economic security.
Kakuma Refugee Camp is associated with better host community energetic status indicators, compared to other relevant, regional sites varying in development and resources. Based on global nutritional standards, observed differences likely represent meaningful disparities in overall health. We suggest that access to cereals via refugee trade networks and employment might mediate this relationship. However, perceptions of refugees as illegitimate interlopers maintain a high psychological burden.
难民营常被认为通过资源竞争和冲突对当地收容社区产生负面影响。我们提出的问题是，与难民相关的经济资源和贸易网络是否对收容社区的健康和营养有益。为了解决这个问题，我们评估了肯尼亚西北部卡卡马难民营的影响，比较了该地区图尔卡纳社区的营养状况人体测量指标。
在图尔卡纳县的四个地点（N=586）招募参与者：卡卡马镇，毗邻卡卡马难民营；洛鲁古姆，一个经济持续发展的地区；洛基乔戈，曾经是国际非政府组织的所在地，现在欠发达；以及洛伦戈，一个欠发达的农村社区。我们使用总皮褶厚度和体重指数（BMI）评估营养状况。结构访谈提供了背景数据。
年龄控制的多元回归模型揭示了男女两种不同的皮褶厚度分布：卡卡马和洛鲁古姆的数值相对较高，而洛伦戈和洛基乔戈的数值显著较低。BMI 地点间差异不显著。尽管营养状况较好，但很大一部分卡卡马居民仍对基本需求（包括饥饿、健康和经济安全）表示担忧。
与其他在发展和资源方面存在差异的相关地区相比，卡卡马难民营与更好的收容社区能量状态指标相关。根据全球营养标准，观察到的差异可能代表整体健康方面的显著差异。我们认为，通过难民贸易网络和就业获得谷物可能会调节这种关系。然而，将难民视为非法闯入者的看法仍然给他们带来沉重的心理负担。
