Luttwak Pros And Cons For Refugees

In times of war or disaster, citizens often flee their home country in search of a safe haven in another. Such individuals have been termed “refugees.” More specifically, as defined by the 1951 Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is a person who “is outside of the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or [because of] fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country” (Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees). In response to refugee crises, relief organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) typically set up refugee camps where refugees can safely reside. However, in his article “Give War a Chance,” Edward N. Luttwak argues that refugee camps often have adverse effects than what is intended; refugee camps sometimes provide a higher …show more content…
(Luttwak 1999). To avoid this outcome, aid agencies should make refugee camps temporary and focus their efforts on helping refugees integrate and resettle outside of the camps. Under the joint administration of the Jordanian Government and the UNHCR is the Zaatari refugee camp located near the Jordanian city of Mafraq. Zaatari was opened in July of 2012 and currently houses over 80,000 refugees, the majority of which come from the Da 'ara province in Syria (UNHCR Syria Regional Refugee Response 2014). Though living situations in refugee camps are often less than ideal, the conditions in Zaatari are actually better than most. The camp has three schools, two hospitals, and a maternity clinic. Trailers with satellite dishes have largely replaced tents, and some living in the camp have even started businesses. Refugees in Zaatari receive six dinars (equal to $8.50) worth of food stamps biweekly which allows them to purchase eggs, milk,