A review of mortality data from refugee camps in Thailand (1979-80), Somalia (1980-85), and Sudan (1984-85) indicates that crude mortality rates (CMRs) were up to 40 times higher than those for the non-refugee populations in the host countries. In eastern Sudan, approximately 5% of the population of eight camps died in the first 3 months of the emergency and daily CMRs as high as 14 per 10 000 were reported. These rates dropped to values comparable with those of the host country within 6 weeks in the Thai camps; however, in Somalia and Sudan this process took 12 months. Mortality rates among under-5-year-olds in the early phases, which were as high as 32.6 per 10 000 per day, are six times greater than those in the world's least developed countries during non-emergency times. Among severely undernourished children in one camp in Sudan, the death rate reached 114 per 10 000 per day. Acute respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, measles, and undernutrition were the causes of most reported deaths, the majority of which could have been prevented by adequate food rations, clean water, measles immunization, and an oral rehydration programme.

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Infections biology refugee Africa south of the Sahara treatment Pulmonary Effects Mortality--changes physiology population Migrants developing country Thailand Population Dynamics Oral Rehydration human Developing Countries Refugees Asia Sudan economic aspect Malaria Time Factors Arab Countries Nutrition Disorders health Settlement And Resettlement medicine Adolescent Diseases preschool child Causes Of Death Death Rate Child, Preschool Review Africa Northern Africa health services diarrhea Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. fatality adult migration Eastern Africa age international migration Somalia Demographic Factors Bacterial And Fungal Diseases Southeastern Asia ethnic or racial aspects preventive medicine malnutrition infection Delivery of Health Care cause of death Parasitic Diseases mortality Differential Mortality cyclic amp public health Child