Burns
Volume 42, Issue 5, 2016, Pages 1036-1046

Fires in refugee and displaced persons settlements: The current situation and opportunities to improve fire prevention and control (Review)

Kazerooni Y.* , Gyedu A. , Burnham G. , Nwomeh B. , Charles A. , Mishra B. , Kuah S.S. , Kushner A.L. , Stewart B.T.
  • a College of Medicine, Ohio State University, 370 W 9th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
  • b Department of Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
  • c Department of International Health, Center for Refugee and Disaster Response, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
  • d Division of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio State University, 700 Childrens Dr, Columbus, OH 43205, United States
  • e Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
  • f Department of Plastic Surgery, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, King Georges Medical University, Shah Mina Road Chowk, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226003, India
  • g Emergency Response Team, International Rescue Committee, 122 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10168, United States
  • h Department of International Health, Center for Refugee and Disaster Response, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States, Surgeons OverSeas (SOS), 504 E. 5th St., Suite 3E, New York, NY 10009, United States, Department of Surgery, Columbia University, 630 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032, United States
  • i Department of Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana, Department of Surgery, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195-6410, United States

Abstract

Introduction We aimed to describe the burden of fires in displaced persons settlements and identify interventions/innovations that might address gaps in current humanitarian guidelines. Methods We performed a systematic review of: (i) academic and non-academic literature databases; and (ii) guidelines from leading humanitarian agencies/initiatives regarding fire prevention/control. Results Of the 1521 records retrieved, 131 reports described settlement fires in 31 hosting countries since 1990. These incidents resulted in 487 deaths, 790 burn injuries, displacement of 382,486 individuals and destruction of 50,509 shelters. There was a 25-fold increase in the rate of settlement fires from 1990 to 2015 (0.002–0.051 per 100,000 refugees, respectively). Only 4 of the 15 leading humanitarian agencies provided recommendations about fire prevention/control strategies. Potentially useful interventions/innovations included safer stoves (e.g. solar cookers) and fire retardant shelter materials. Conclusion The large and increasing number of fires in displaced persons settlements highlights the need to redress gaps in humanitarian fire prevention/control guidelines. The way forward includes: (i) developing consensus among aid agencies regarding fire prevention/control strategies; (ii) evaluating the impact of interventions/innovations on the burden of fires; and (iii) engaging agencies in a broader discussion about protecting camp residents from armed groups. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI

Author Keywords

Injury prevention Fire Burn Refugee displaced person

Index Keywords

flame retardant fire protection heat refugee health survey Population Surveillance cooking human Refugees Relief Work data base death Fires disaster procedures Uganda fuel Humans safety Review Disasters refugee camp prevention and control standards organization and management explosion destruction burn Burns control strategy fire practice guideline Sudan
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84955290482&doi=10.1016%2fj.burns.2015.11.008&partnerID=40&md5=4804d3621f85d16a544452dd164fd07c
DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2015.11.008
ISSN: 03054179
Cited by: 5
Original Language: English