July 2, 2008

inTENTsive care with Médecins Sans Frontières

In August 2008, following a successful 13-year run in 13 countries around the globe, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Australia is launching the first Australian tour of Refugee Camp in Your City.

42 million people throughout the world are either refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) — people who have fled in search of safety from armed conflict.

In fact, entire generations of people have grown up with either of these statuses.

Of the 16 million refugees accounted for, almost half are in just three areas, with 4.5 million in Palestinian Territories, 3 million in Afghanistan and 2.3 million in Iraq.

Of the 25 million IDPs, almost half are in just three countries and about three-quarters are children and women. More than 5.8 million are in Sudan, up to 4 million in Colombia and approximately 2.5 million in Iraq. More than 2 million are Afghans living in Iran and Pakistan and more than 2.4 million — one-third of the region’s population — are from Darfur. Millions have stayed in camps and other temporary shelters for more than five years. Millions of others are trapped throughout the world, without clear rights to protection, relocation, or integration.

Refugee Camp in Your City — a recreation of a refugee camp and its facilities — aims to create a better understanding of the vulnerability of life for displaced people and refugees who have fled their homes.

Free and open to the public, this innovative outdoor event is fully interpreted by MSF Australian returned field workers who have witnessed life in a refugee camp first-hand. Their free guided tours will educate and enlighten visitors on the experiences and every day life of displaced people around the world.

Event dates/locations:

Brisbane: Conservatorium Green, South Bank (part of Riverfestival 2008), August 27- 31

Sydney: The Overflow, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush , September 5-9

Sydney CBD: Martin Place (between Pitt and Castlereagh Sts), September 13-17

Canberra: Glebe Park (Cnr Akuna and Bunda Sts), September 20-24

Further information is available at www.msf.org.au/refugeecamp or 1300 136 061.