The Buduburam Camp
This Camp, was established in 1990, by the Ghanaian Government and the UNHCR Ghana, when the war erupted in Liberia. The camp as of this date hosts over forty-five thousand refugees according to UNHCR registration conducted. The camp is forty five minutes drive away from Accra, Ghana`s capital city. Refugees are faced with severe hardships including lack of toilet facilities, pipe borne water, sheltering, sanitation, food etc.
Toilet Facilities
To serve nature is a very serious problem. The very few toilet facilities available on camp are being commercialized. They are not even sufficient to serve the ever increasing refugee populace. The use of these facilities cost the amounts of 500, , , (all are in cedis) is paid respectively to respond to the call of nature using either of the facilities. Those who cannot afford to pay the amount mentioned above are compelled to walk ten or fifteen minutes in the bushes rain or shine. Cases of snake bites have been reported and even on the increase.
Water
The lack of pipe borne water on camp results in trucks transporting water for sale. A bucket of water (8 liters) is sold for 1000 cedis while pure drinking water (400 ml) is obtained at the price 500 cedis and whole sack of water is 8000 cedis . Those who cannot afford to buy a bucket of water go without bathing for days. sometimes water become scarce and the price obviously double.
Sanitation
The sanitation condition is very bad and yet to be addressed by relevant agencies. Drainages are clogged, garbage not properly disposed off causing mosquitoes and flies all over. This condition poses a serious health hazard to the refugee community. only they brought trucks to take the dirty away . Still the camp is dirty .
Sheltering
It is unfortunate and strange to note that refugees at the Buduburam Refugee Camp provide shelter for themselves. Refugee at present are leasing a parcel of land from their Ghanaian Landlord at a very high price. To lease a parcel for single room cost the amount of 250,000 cedis, say you are building a two bed room tent with a kitchen and sitting place, 1,000,000 cedis is paid excluding the real cost of building. If the lease agreement expires, one is made to either turn the house over to the Landlord or paid an exorbitant rental fees on a monthly basis. one has to be mindful in leasing a parcel of land because of dispute between the two chiefs in and around the camp. The two opposing chiefs make claims and counter claims to control lands in and around the camp.The month of February, 2004 recorded a fight between the two chiefs. The refugees ran amok to escape the advancing supporters of the chiefs who were armed with machetes and single barrel guns. this situation poses a serious threat to refugees.
Feeding
There is no relief assistance program for the refugees. One wonders how are they surviving? A bulk of the refugee populace largely survives at the altruistic whim of their relations and friends abroad. There are times when such assistance stalls for months. In this instance, the camp becomes a jungle where only the fittest survives.In addition to these refugees paid for their medication and education are paid for for the refugee themselves , there is nothing free facilities on the camp . Prostitution and criminal activities become the last hope for others.
UNHCR presence on camp
Considering the numerous hardships mentioned, the struggling inhabitants of the camp are compelled to question the presence of the arm of UN responsible for refugees, UNHCR.following the election of 1997, the UNHCR withdrew from the camp with the thought that real peace has returned and Liberians would have been repatriated. In 2003, the UNHCR resurfaced on camp by hosting its flag for the first time since the camp was established in 1990.Most regrettably, Liberian refugees had been appealing to UNHCR to be given refugee status and were always between the offices of the Ghanaian Refugee Board and the UNHCR. The Ghanaian Refugee Board always told the refugees that the UNHCR must play their part while UNHCR on the other hand said the ball was in the court of the Ghanaian Government, so no one knew what was happening?Not until the end of 2003, both the UNHCR and the Government conducted a joint registration. This exercise raise the hope of many of getting the long awaited refugee status. Sadly enough, after the exercise, UNHCR provided an identity card to all refugees stating frankly that the card is in no way a refugee status or entitled the refugees to any benefits from the UNHCR. What a discouraging thing!
So the presence of UNHCR has not been felt by most refugees, they are not addressing the most cardinal issues affecting the refugees. In the face of tough economic conditions prevalent in Ghana today and felt by the working class of this country, UNHCR authorities on camp has failed to address the life saving issues of water, feeding, shelter, sanitation, thus leaving the solutions to these problems to the poor, struggling, and jobless refugees.These are the conditions on the Camp , we are getting ready to go back home .as we read the news from Ghana about refugees issued in Ghana for the few months . As of these issued refugees now are going home .In all it is not Good to be refugee in Africa , because you been look down upon and they not count you as a human being in this life . Besides, the education opportunity it is hard for refugee parents and children , as well the refugee themselves.
Other Problems Face by The Refugee Children In West Africa
This short article states that, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, children in refugee camps in West Africa are being exploited by locally hired camp officials who demand sex in exchange for food and medicine. The UN agency and Save the Children UK jointly surveyed camps in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where abuses of children are said to be extensive.
UNHCR lets refugee children talk about the special problems they face.
PRETORIA, South Africa, 5 March (UNHCR) – Life for any refugee can be difficult; life for a child refugee is doubly difficult. As one young refugee told the UN refugee agency: "We are always living in fear."That comment was heard as UNHCR conducted a series of groundbreaking workshops over the past three years to learn more about the problems facing refugee children in eight countries in Southern African – and to give the children their own role in helping to solve them.
UNHCR used a "participatory assessment" approach, asking groups of about two dozen children to answer a series of questions with drawings that illustrate their lives. Over the two-day workshops, the drawings began to reveal a complete picture of each child's life.
The results – "how children are being treated, how they perceive the violence with which they are often faced, how they cope and what suggestions they have to improving their situation" – has now been compiled in a new report prepared by Joan Allison, a UNHCR regional adviser on women and children who ran the project over the past three years.
The process has provided not only direct guidance for helping individuals, but information that UNHCR has used to strengthen the work of adults, especially the staff working in refugee camps.
"UNHCR sought to give refugee children a voice in defining and resolving their problems, and to ensure that their voice was heard by adults. Thus an important outcome of the participatory assessments was that the attention of camp and related personnel, as well as parents and caretakers, was drawn to the needs and rights of children and their obligation to fulfil them," the report said. "This process was empowering for the young people – who are generally among the world's most dis empowered – and is contributing to redressing some of their concerns as action plans are implemented."
The exercises held in South Africa, where there are no refugee camps, involved refugees living in urban areas who face many different challenges than those encountered by children housed in camps. "Many of the children spoke of violence they had witnessed in their area or been directly exposed to: robbery, shootings, stabbings, and home break-ins involving rape. As a result, the children live in constant fear of attack," said the report.
In Angola, the UNHCR team worked with children who were returning home after life in refugee camps in neighboring countries. "The main issue raised by children was violence and discrimination against them by people from the nearby community, especially when they were collecting water."
In Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Namibia, the study was with children living in refugee camps. "Camps where refugees share water and schools with local communities, and where children gather firewood on a regular basis, were singled out as particularly dangerous for children. In addition, ethnic-based tensions are more acute in some camps than others," the report said. Children had adopted simple strategies to protect themselves, such as moving only in groups and not venturing outside their houses at night. It repeatedly emerged that children were not aware of those people in the camp who could provide protection. "Most children, especially girls, expressed feelings of powerlessness against the forces of violence and discrimination they encounter on a regular basis. Asked how children can remain safe, typical responses were: 'There's no solution to that' and 'There is no safe place for children.'"
The study concluded that the greatest impact of the participatory assessments was to give a voice to the children, which increased their self-confidence and the respect they received from adults. Field staff report concrete improvements in the lives of children and the approach is now being used by UNHCR in other areas of the world.
"As the process evolved over the past three years, UNHCR has increasingly recognized the important contribution children can make and has thus placed growing emphasis on building the capacity of camp and other staff working with refugees to understand and respond to issues facing children," the report said.