Brief Assignment 1

Abbie Gumpright

Professor James Phillips

English 170-22

Summative Annotated Bibliography for Argumentative research-based Essay: Health Conditions in Refugee Camps

Zabaneh, J. E., G. C. M. Watt, and O’Donnell C.A. “Living and Health Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in an Unofficial Camp in the Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Survey.” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, vol. 62, no. 2, 2008, pp. 91. ProQuest.

This team of researchers from the University of Glasgow, writes this health journal to survey and analyze the poor living conditions that Palestanian refugees are given in an unofficial camp in Lebanon. In the health journal, found on the library resource catalog, the authors question refugees in order to determine the cleanliness of the camps and the general health conditions of the surveyors who live in unofficial camps. “This study demonstrates the poor conditions under which Palestinian refugees in unofficial camps live, resembling the slum housing of the UK last century.
In the absence of routine data collection, research may be the only way to obtain
such data for future public and environmental health planning” (Zabaneh et al. 3).

Doocy, S., Lyles, E., Akhu-Zaheya, L., Oweis, A., Ward, N. A., & Burton, A. (2016, April 13). Health Service Utilization among Syrian Refugees with Chronic Health Conditions in Jordan. Retrieved October 13, 2020.

This case study published by the Public Library of Science, conducts surveys of Syrian refugees in Jordan. The results of these surveys, found in the library resource catalog, reveal that the increasing number of refugees in Jordan is creating a burden for Jordanian health care systems and more specifically, hindering them from being able to provide treatment for chronic health conditions. “The influx of Syrian refugees into Jordan presents an immense burden to the Jordanian health system, particularly in treating chronic health conditions” (Doocy et al.).

Al-Khatib, I.A., and H. Tabakhna. “Housing conditions and health in Jalazone Refugee Camp in Palestine.” Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, vol. 12, no. 1-2, 2006, p. 144+. Gale Academic OneFile, Accessed 13 Oct. 2020.

Evaluative Annotated Bibliography for Argumentative research-based Essay: Health Conditions in Refugee Camps

Al-Khatib IA, et al. “Impact of Housing Conditions on the Health of the People at Al-Ama’ri Refugee Camp in the West Bank of Palestine.” International Journal of Environmental Health Research, vol. 13, no. 4, Dec. 2003, pp. 315–326. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09603120310001616092.

In this research article published by the Institute of Community and Public Health, researchers conclude that there is a direct correlation between the poor housing conditions at al-Ama’ri camp and the prevalence of upper respiratory tract disease. The authors distinguish that the diseases most commonly found in the refugee camps are directly related to poor housing conditions. The article reports that house dampness and moulds also lead to respiratory health issues in children in the camps. Tables and charts are utilized to display information such as room density rates and age distribution of the samples to prove the impact of housing conditions on the health conditions of refugees. “Cold housing, presence of dampness and moulds, dust and smoke, burning of biomass fuel, crowding, poor ventilation and inadequate lighting problems are commonly found in the houses of this refugee camp” (Al-Khatib IA, et al. 315). This information makes the audience aware of the terrible conditions of refugee camps and appeals to their pathos by making them feel bad for the refugees who have to live in them. “More than half of the children below 5 years of age suffered from cold and cough. Asthma was also most prevalent among the age group of 1 – 5 years. Ear infection was most prevalent among the age group of 5 1 year” (Al-Khatib IA, et al. 320). The journal indicates how children are greatly affected by the poor living conditions in camp al-Ama’ri and how it hinders their overall health.

Through a randomized sample of refugees at the Jalazone Refugee Camp found in Gale Academic OneFile, the authors of the health journal gathered that overcrowding and population density caused poor health for individuals inside the camp, especially those with respiratory symptoms and diseases. The article is introduced by evoking emotion within the audience by explaining how the Palestinian people lost their homes and livelihoods when they were forced to move to other parts of Palestine or neighboring countries. The authors continue to emphasize and prove the poor housing conditions of Palestinian refugees. They write in hopes that a solution for the housing problem will be considered due to the negative health impacts that occur in spite of this. “Poor housing conditions were apparent in that most of the homes had damp or mould and only 41.5% were exposed to the sun” (Al-Khatib et al. 149). Almost half of the homes investigated had poor living conditions such as mould and low sun exposure, which can lead to health issues for the refugees living in them. “There was a statistically significant relationship between some respiratory conditions (common cold, cough, tonsillitis and ear infection) and poor housing conditions (including damp and mould), overcrowding and high population density,” and that, “a radical solution for the hou- sing problem is needed to avert further negative health impacts” (Al-Khatib et al. 144). The author does not offer solutions to the crisis but says that a solution is necessary.

de Jong JP, Scholte WF, Koeter MW, Hart AA. The prevalence of mental health problems in Rwandan and Burundese refugee camps. Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. 2000;102(3):171-177. Accessed October 20, 2020.

In this journal article found through the library resource catalog, the authors reflect on the mental health of people living in refugee camps in Africa. They determine that the living conditions are very poor in the camps and this greatly affects the mental health of refugees living in them. The article uses a chart which highlights the prevalence of separate psychiatric diagnoses in refugees to show the audience how refugees’ mental health is affected by the camps. Refugees already go through a tremendous amount of stress when seeking asylum and they should feel safe in refugee camps rather than threatened. About 50% of refugees living in camps suffer from mental health issues due to the stress that they are put under during their search for safety. The authors analyze, “the mental health condition of people still living under very poor and insecure conditions in refugee camps in Africa” (De Jong, J.P et al. 171). It is important to consider refugee’s mental health because they undergo a lot of stress and trauma during their voyage to safety, which can greatly impact their overall health. “The atmosphere in the refugee camps was threatening and sometimes violent, and there was a general feeling of insecurity” (De Jong, J.P et al. 174). Refugees are forced to move to another country to find safety. However, the refugee camps that they go to for shelter are not safe for them to live in, and put their mental health in danger.

Various authors from accredited universities, the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, publish this case study to highlight the chronic health conditions of refugees in Jordan. The results of the surveys conducted, found in the library resource catalog, reveal that the increasing number of refugees in Jordan is creating a burden for Jordanian health care systems and more specifically, hindering them from being able to provide treatment for chronic health conditions. Through the use of tables, graphs, and surveys the case study successfully illustrated how the support Jordanians are giving to Syrian refugees is causing a financial burden and loss of hospital space for refugees in Jordan. The final consensus drawn from the case study argues that refugees may need additional support that Jordan cannot provide to them in order to ensure proper health conditions. “Size sampling was used to attain a nationally representative sample of 1550 non-camp Syrian refugee households” (Doocy et al.). This makes the study fair and assures the audience that the results are accurate.
It is illustrated that the support Jordanians are giving to Syrian refugees is causing, “substantial costs to UNHCR and other providers as well as increased utilization of Jordanian referral hospitals by refugees” (Doocy et al.) Eventually, Jordan will not have enough resources to provide for these refugees.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow write this health journal, found in the library resource catalog, to highlight the poor living conditions that Palestanian refugees are given in an unofficial camp in Lebanon. The authors question refugees through surveys and questionnaires to determine the cleanliness of the camps and the general health conditions of the surveyors who live in unofficial camps. The authors also considered the refugees mental health because it is an important factor to their overall general health. This is something to take into consideration when thinking about refugees and their experience in the camps. The journal clearly illustrates the poor living conditions of Palestinian refugees through the use of charts and graphs developed through the results of surveys given to refugees. “It is likely that mental health issues would be a major component of their overall ill-health, as recently reported by Karam et al for the Lebanese population as a whole” (Zabaneh et al. 21). To clarify, mental health is often overlooked. However, your overall ill-health is affected by your mental health due to the stress it puts your body under.
“Many of the households also had mould and dampness, poor external ventilation and a lack of heating. All of these factors may contribute to poor health, particularly respiratory disease, with evidence pointing to cold housing as being particularly associated with poor health” (Zabaneh et al. 21). This being said, refugees are not given proper treatment because the poor housing they are provided leads to respiratory issues and has a negative impact on their overall health in general.

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