social, humanitarian & cultural committee update …social, humanitarian, and cultural committee...

NEW YORK

2020NHSMUN

SOCHUMSocial, Humanitarian & Cultural Committee

Update Paper

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

My name is Ashley Suthammanont and I am happy and excited to be the Assistant Director of the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee for Session I. My Director, Kevin Cao, co-AD, Sean Lisk, and I hope this update paper can help you in your research for this year’s session, and we are cannot wait to see how each delegate uses the guide to begin and further the discussion of the topic.

I am from Bayonne, New Jersey, and am currently a freshman at New Jersey Institute of Technol-ogy studying Biochemistry with the intent to go into medical research. Interesting fact: I am in the process, along with some other students, of creating a Model UN team at NJIT! Aside from that, I am a member of my school’s FINEST club, which stands for Filipinos In Newark Engaging Socio-cultural Traditions. I have participated in Model UN this last year as a delegate, and this is my first year on NHSMUN staff. Last year, I was a delegate representing the United States in SOCHUM, so this committee is near and dear to my heart. My first year as a delegate was also, unfortunately, my last, so I am extremely grateful to be part of the staff and experience a different side of the competition.

These topics, “Combatting Racism, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance” and “Human Rights Violations in Refugee Camps,” are conflicts in today’s world that require immediate action. Both topics address the lack of care and sympathy for certain groups of individuals, which is why we are eager for the world’s youngest and most powerful minds to figure out how to best solve them! Through conducting research of my own on these issues, I found myself sparked with a motiva-tion to dedicate time and attention to helping those in need, and I hope you all do too. We hope this update paper can aid your preparations and act as a strong jumping off point for developing creative solutions. Your entire dais is also a tool that you can use to guide your research, and we are happy to help with whatever questions delegates have. Feel free to contact us with any questions, and I can’t wait to see you and your work shine through in committee!!

Ashley [email protected], Humanitarian, and Cultural, Session I

Secretary-GeneralVijittra Puckdee

Director-GeneralAlthea Turley

Chiefs of StaffAlex Burr

Walker Heintz

Delegate ExperienceLuis GonzálezMerve Karakas

Domestic PartnershipsMaura Goss

Odion Ovbiagele

Global PartnershipsRenata Koch

Salmaan Rashiq

Internal AffairsLia Lee

Natalie O’Dell

Under-Secretaries-General

Michael BeeliJill Bendlak

Rose BlackwellAnnica DenktasRahul FrancisOmar Mufti

Jonathan PackerAkanksha Sancheti

John WoodAlisa Wong

mailto:[email protected]


Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

My name is Sean Lisk, and I am excited to be your Assistant Director for Session I of the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee. My Director, Kevin, my Assistant Director, Ashley, and I hope that you find this update paper to be both helpful and informative are you prepare for your committee. We are all so thrilled to see how you use the information supplied in this paper to create diverse and comprehensive solutions to these pressing problems.

This is my first year being a part of NHSMUN staff. Previously, I spent three years on my high school’s Model United Nations delegation, representing countries like Lithuania, Laos, and Licent-stein (we love our “L” countries). This committee is extra special to me, as SOCHUM was the first committee in which I participated. I am from Breezy Point, New York, and I am majoring in civil engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, with future aspirations to attend law school afterwards. When I am not involved in school politics, I am involved in local politics down in Queens.

The two topics on our agenda are serious and pressing issues in today’s world. “Combatting Rac-ism, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance” and “Human Rights Violations in Refugee Camps” are problems that are observed in every region of the world. I encourage delegates to work together and look for diverse and cooperative solutions. This update paper should help you in crafting these solutions, making sure they are both comprehensive and aware of the human suffering on a per-sonal level. Feel free to contact me or my colleagues if you have questions, as we would be happy to help. I look forward to seeing lively discussions, cooperative work between delegates, and finally, position papers that offer both solutions that both eases and prevents the suffering. I cannot wait to see you all in New York!

Sean [email protected], Humanitarian, and Cultural, Session I




Walker Heintz



Odion Ovbiagele


Salmaan Rashiq


Natalie O’Dell





John WoodAlisa Wong



Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to SOCHUM’s update paper for NHSMUN 2020. My name is Amy Schmidmajer and I am one of the Assistant Directors of SOCHUM for Session II. I am very excited and cannot wait for the conference in March. My co-AD, Fabiana Blanco, and I hope that this update paper will be a helpful tool to deepen your understanding of two of the most interesting and concerning issues on the UN’s agenda.

NHSMUN 2020 will be my first time on staff. Previously, I have participated in different conferenc-es in Venezuela since 8th grade, and I attended NHSMUN 2019 as a delegate in the Security Council during my senior year, where I fell in love with this amazing conference—as I am sure you will too. I am currently participating in a leadership program in Israel where I study Middle Eastern history and relations. Afterwards, I will start my degree in robotic neuroscience at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with the intent to go to medical school and fulfill my dream of being a surgeon. As you can see, I am passionate about almost everything that involves learning. Outside of academics, some of my biggest passions include swimming and playing violin and piano.

This year, our committee will challenge you with some of the most pervasive and complex issues that the world faces today. While neither of these topics are new problems, with racism being as old as civilization itself, the modern era provides so many new opportunities and threats for vulnerable people. Both topics are continuously evolving, and as such, delegates should keep up to date with new information that could be discussed at the conference.

If you have any questions about the topics or logistics, please feel free to contact me! Best of luck and I cannot wait for a great conference in March.

See you all soon,

Amy Schmidmajer [email protected] Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, Session II.




Walker Heintz



Odion Ovbiagele


Salmaan Rashiq


Natalie O’Dell





John WoodAlisa Wong



Phone: +1 (212) 652-9992

Web: www.nhsmun.org

Dear Delegates,

First of all, welcome to the world’s largest Model UN conference! My name is Fabiana Blanco, and I am the Assistant Director of SOCHUM for Session II, alongside my co-AD, Amy Schmidmajer. This year marks my third year at NHSMUN, but my first year as a staff member.

I want to take this opportunity to let you know about my experience as a MUN delegate. Before attending university, I was chosen to be part of my school’s National Delegation back in my home country of Venezuela, and eventually I served as a Faculty Advisor for the group during my senior year. I have also attended NHSMUN twice as a delegate, so I know what it is like to be in your position! My first time at NHSMUN, I participated in UNEP, and I participated in SOCHUM the next year.

Aside from staffing my favorite MUN conference, I will be attending the University of South Florida (Go Bulls!) this fall semester! I will be studying English with a concentration in creative writing and a minor in marketing so I can fulfill my dream of working in one of the Big Five book publishing houses. As you can see, I am fascinated by everything that has to do with reading and writing. Aside from academics, some of my major interests are drawing, volleyball, writing articles on my blog, and reading a lot of fiction books and young adult novels.

This update paper discusses very important topics that affect our international community, and also topics Amy and I are very passionate about, seeing that we belong to some of the affected com-munities.

If you have any questions regarding the update paper, the conference, or what it is like to be a SO-CHUM delegate, do not hesitate to reach out! I would be very happy to assist you.

See you all in March!

Fabiana [email protected], Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, Session II




Walker Heintz



Odion Ovbiagele


Salmaan Rashiq


Natalie O’Dell





John WoodAlisa Wong


SOCHUM

NHSMUN 2020

Photo Credit: John Owens

Topic A:Combatting Racism, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance

|7Topic A: combATTing RAcism, XenophobiA, And RelATed inToleRAnceinTRoducTion

Introduction

1 Bojan Pancevski, “One in Four Europeans Holds Anti-Semitic Views, Survey Shows,” The Wall Street Journal, 21 November 2019, accessed 16 December 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-in-four-europeans-holds-anti-semitic-views-survey-shows-115743390972 “Antisemitism,” UN News, accessed 1 December 2019, https://news.un.org/en/tags/anti-semitism. 3 “ADL Tracker of Anti-Semitic Incidents,” Anti Defamation League, accessed 16 December 2019, https://www.adl.org/adl-tracker-of-anti-semitic-incidents?field_incident_location_state_target_id=4787.4 Ben Sales, “Anti-Semitism is spiking in Brooklyn, and officials don’t know why,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 12 November 2019, accessed 15 December 2019, https://www.jta.org/2019/11/12/united-states/what-is-causing-the-spike-in-anti-semitic-attacks-in-brooklyn.5 Ibid.6 Ibid.7 Audrey McNamara, “Jersey City attackers are suspects in earlier killing of Uber driver,” CBS News, 11 December 2019, accessed 16 December 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jersey-city-shooting-attackers-david-anderson-francine-graham-are-suspects-in-earlier-killing-of-uber-driver.; Thomas Curwin, “Beverly Hills police investigate vandalism at Nessah Synagogue as a hate crime,” Los Angeles Times, 14 December 2019, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-14/beverly-hills-police-vandalism-nessah-synagogue-hate-crime.8 Sales, “Anti-Semitism is spiking in Brooklyn, and officials don’t know why.”9 Ibid.

Racism, Xenophobia, and related intolerances are issues that have been affecting society since an-cient times. These topics have triggered wars, refugee crises, genocides, and massive killings, as well as social and educational conflicts. Still, far too many people are victimized because they belong to a particular group – whether it be national, ethnic, religious, defined by gender, or by descent. In many cases, these modern problems are part of a legacy of violence from the past, such as the exploitation and extermination of indigenous people by colonial powers. Colonialism, Xenophobia, Islamopho-bia, anti-Semitism, and hate speech are just some of the most concerning topics worldwide at the moment.

Case Study: Latest Anti-Semitic attacks in Eu-rope and United States

According to the worldwide 2019 poll on anti-Semitism by the Anti-Defamation League, the percentage of anti-Semitic beliefs with age-old stereotypes and attacks increased by 30% within the last year.1 Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief warned, “growth of anti-Semitism worldwide is a sign that other forms of hatred and xenophobia are becoming more destructive and widespread.”2

There has been an increase in anti-Semitism in the United States during the past year, including schools reporting an-ti-Semitic language and hundreds of swastikas painted with comments in public spaces, physical assaults, and assassina-tions. Brooklyn is one of the boroughs which has suffered the biggest series of anti-Semitic attacks. For example, a few months ago, a man threw a brick through the window of a Hasidic girls’ school in Crown Heights, and that same day, at least three Orthodox Jews were physically assaulted.3 Such acts of discrimination have been a major trend in recent years and increasing in prevalence.

According to the New York Police, anti-Semitic incidents in

the city have increased by 50% in the last year and are a major-ity of hate crimes.4 Comprehending the nature of such crimes has been a challenging task for the NYPD, as it presents multi-ple questions regarding influences on behavior.5 These actions could be the local effect of a national rise in anti-Semitism, the resurfacing of old resentments, the persistent influence of anti-Semitic leaders, or simply children acting out and looking to cause a stir.6 Likewise, two of the most concerning inci-dents are the assassination of three Orthodox Jews and one police officer at a Kosher Supermarket in New Jersey on 10 December 2019, and a vandalism attack on the Nessah Syna-gogue in Beverly Hills, in which holy books and furniture were damaged.7

As a result, some leaders, like Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, highlighted that a majority of recent attacks were committed by teenagers, who likely do not comprehend the gravity of their actions.8 Gonzalez mentioned that ignorance produces hate, which is why education plays a critical role to fight it.9 This mindset is similar to the following statement made by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “People are not born to hate; intolerance is learned and so can be pre-

8| Topic A: combATTing RAcism, XenophobiA, And RelATed inToleRAnceinTRoducTion

vented and unlearned.”10

In the coming year, the Anti-defamation league (ADL) anti-bigotry program will spend USD 250,000 on the implementa-tion of the “No Place for Hate” program in over 40 schools in Brooklyn in order draw attention on fighting against hate and discrimination.11 Likewise, ADL’s Education Department provides different programs, trainings, and resources to help students and educators from high schools, colleges, and uni-versities understand, prevent, identify, and challenge anti-Sem-itism, while at the same time empowering them to stand up to any form of intolerance.12 ADL’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said, “To stop hate, we cannot just arrest our way out of the problem, we have got to change hearts and minds.” For this reason, much of the recent action supports the statement that 10 “Anti Semitism, intolerance, can be unlearned, Guterres tells New York commemoration,” UN News, 7 November 2019, accessed 1 December 2019, https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050911.11 Sales, “Anti-Semitism is spiking in Brooklyn, and officials don’t know why.” 12 “Anti-Semitism in the US,” Anti Defamation League, accessed 31 December 2019, https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/anti-semitism/anti-semitism-in-the-us.13 Jon Henly, “Anti Semitism rising sharply across Europe, latest figures show,” The Guardian, 15 February 2019, accessed 30 December 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/15/antisemitism-rising-sharply-across-europe-latest-figures-show.14 Bernd Riegert, “Anti-Semitism on the rise in the European Union,” Deutsche Welle, 14 October 2019, accessed 30 November 2019, https://www.dw.com/en/anti-semitism-on-the-rise-in-the-eu/a-50820057.

the best way to change these problems is by teaching the next generation how to reduce intolerance and all forms of hate.

This past year, Europe has also been victim of an increase in anti-Semitism. Since the Middle Age, anti-Semitism has played an important role, however, during 2019, the percentage of attacks increased notably compared to recent years. For ex-ample, France reported a 74% rise and Germany had 60% increase.13 In the words of Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, a scien-tific adviser to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), this anti-Semitism is making Jews feel they can-not live like normal citizens and even that they cannot live as Jews in their home countries.14 The most significant and recent incident was the 9 October 2019 shooting by a self-confessed far-right extremist in a synagogue in Halle, Ger-

107 Jewish graves desecrated in an anti-Semitic attack in France December 2019


many on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish Calendar.15 This event was a breaking point that generated Ahmed Sha-heed’s report to the UN General Assembly entitled “Elimi-nation of All Forms of Religious Intolerance,” which has a focus on anti-Semitism. Alongside the act of hate, in France, an Israeli student was severely beaten after being heard speak-ing Hebrew, and Jewish graves were desecrated in a historic French cemetery. The increasing number of anti-Semitic acts has caused individuals such as Dimitrakopoulos to point out the worrying trend of anti-Semitic acts throughout Europe becoming viewed as “normal” as a result of the sheer number of them.

According to a poll by the ADL and other Jewish anti-hate organizations, one in every four Europeans supports types of anti-Semitic beliefs that have endured since before the Ho-locaust.16 For instance, in Germany, a country that has made strong efforts to combat anti-Semitism, over a quarter of the population still holds anti-Semitic perspectives; moreover, Berlin is the capital of European anti-Semitism.17 These re-sults are deeply concerning and serve as a powerful call to ac-tion that a lot of work is yet to be done to provide education with a focus on rejecting hate and bigotry.

Case Study: Xenophobia towards Venezu-elans

During mid-2019, Venezuelan exodus reached 13% of the country’s population, which translates to 4 million Venezu-elans.18 In addition, the UN predicted that by the end of 2019, 15 “Antisemitism,” UN News. 16 Ibid.17 Pancevski, “One in Four Europeans Holds Anti-Semitic Views, Survey Shows.” 18 Ana Lazaro, “Venezuela refugee crisis: ‘we are beginning to see outbreaks of xenophobia’,” Euro News, 31 October 2019, accessed 30 December 2019, https://www.euronews.com/2019/10/31/venezuela-refugee-crisis-we-are-beginning-to-see-outbreaks-of-xenophobia19 Jim Wyss, “A nation is vanishing: Has Venezuela lost almost 20 percent of its population?” Miami Herald, 13 August 2019, accessed 30 December 2019, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article233947387.html.20 World Vision, “Venezuela crisis: facts and how to help,” World Vision, last modified 29 November 2019, https://www.worldvision.ca/stories/disaster-relief/venezuela-crisis-facts-and-how-to-help.21 Rocio Cara Labrador, “The Venezuelan Exodus,” Council on Foreign Relations, last modified 8 July 2019, https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/venezuelan-exodus.22 Nathali Gómez, “‘Maduro, recoge tu basura, fuera venecos’: qué hay detrás de la xenofobia contra venezolanos en Perú,” RT, last modi-fied 3 October 2019, https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/329109-motivos-xenofobia-venezolanos-peru.23 Ibid.24 Mia Armstrong, “Venezuelans in Peru worry that media’s focus on crime spurs lies, hatred,” Cronkite News, last modified 2 May 2019, https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2019/05/02/venezuela-migrants-media-resentment/.25 Gómez, “‘Maduro, recoge tu basura, fuera venecos’.”26 Ibid.27 Ibid.28 “Prosecutors in Peru Probe Mayor for Discrimination against Venezuelans,” Reuters, last modified 1 April 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-migration-peru/prosecutors-in-peru-probe-mayor-for-discrimination-against-venezuelans-idUSKCN1RE02K.

there would be over 5 million Venezuelan immigrants; in oth-er words, 15% of the Venezuelan population would be living outside of their home country.19 According to these statistics, 35,000 Venezuelan citizens leave their country on a daily ba-sis.20

After Colombia, Peru has the largest amount of Venezuelan immigrants, with over 800,000 refugees.21 Unfortunately, xe-nophobic and discriminatory actions toward Venezuelan peo-ple are and the main reason for the promotion of this behav-ior is the belief that Venezuelans have caused an increase in crime rates.22 According to the country’s security experts, this common belief stems from the projection Peruvian news-casts and journals used a “discriminatory tone” in their head-lines.23 Some examples include “Venezuelans Export Crime and Sickness” and “Venezuelan Immigrants are a Threat to Peruvians.”24

Furthermore, a study called “Impacto de la Migración de Ex-tranjeros en la Incidencia de la Criminalidad en el Perú” (Im-pact of Migration of Foreigners on the incidence of crime in Peru), has shown that allegations regarding the crime rates in Peru are false.25 The study states that Venezuelan criminal offenses make up only 0.6% of the total 941,788 that have taken place in the last three years.26 This misconception not only occurs in Peru, but also in other countries with large amounts Venezuelan migration.27 As previously mentioned in the Background Guide, the Peruvian government has freely expressed discrimination towards the Venezuelan citizens.28 Consequently, the country’s population has turned against the

10|Topic A: combATTing RAcism, XenophobiA, And RelATed inToleRAnceinTRoducTion

Venezuelan people on the streets and created derogatory nick-

names such as “venecos.”29 30

By contrast, xenophobia and discrimination in Colombia is

not encouraged by political leaders or the government; in-

stead, it is brought about by the citizens and certain social

groups. A study conducted by Fundación de Ideas para la

Paz (FIP- Foundation of Ideas for Peace) shows that 74%

of Colombians subscribed to Twitter perceive the Venezuelan

migration situation as negative.31 Some reasons mentioned by

the users are the following: Venezuelans take jobs that could

be occupied by local Colombians, Venezuelans promote crime

and vandalism, Venezuelans organize protests on the streets.32

The FIP allegations conclude that social media encourages xe-

nophobia to increase and to spread easily.33

29 Paul Dobson, “Wave of Xenophobia Against Venezuelans in Peru Sparks Diplomatic Spat,” Venezuelan Analysis, last modified 30 Sep-tember 2019, https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14674.30 Ibid.31 “¡Ojo con la xenofobia!” Semana, 30 November 2019, accessed 30 December 2019, https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/xenofo-bia-en-contra-de-los-venezolanos-esta-disparada-en-colombia/642695.32 Ibid.33 Ibid.34 “¡Ojo con la xenofobia!” Semana.35 Ibid.36 Ibid.37 Ibid.

During the Colombian protests against president Duque’s conservative regime, there was a spread of criminal offences and vandalization into neighborhoods around the manifesta-tion sites.34 These acts were said to be caused by Venezuelans who took advantage of public disturbances to commit said crimes.35 Although this is a rumor, when spread on social me-dia, individuals assured that the information was coming from security service members.36 Thus, this situation spread a wave of collective fear around the citizens of two major Colombian cities: Bogotá and Medellín.

Rocio Castañeda, Director of Public Information of UNHRC in Colombia, said that most allegations seen on social media against Venezuelans are false and have no factual basis.37 Mar-tha Márquez, Faculty of the Universidad Javeriana, affirms that the current xenophobia towards Venezuelans is promoted

Venezuelan protests at the beginning of 2019 in Caracas, Venezuela


by certain social sectors to use Venezuelans as “scapegoats.”38 Furthermore, Christian Kruger Sarmiento, Head Chief of Colombian Immigration Services, stated that Colombians cannot allow rumors about Venezuelans immigrants to out-shine those who came seeking for work and to overcome their current situation.39 Additionally, analysts conclude that the Venezuelan migration to Colombia does not hold any threat to the country’s safety or sovereignty.40

On 30 November 2019, the UN released a statement con-demning the increase in xenophobia against the Venezuelan population in Colombia with the statement that: “The acts of intolerance against Venezuelan citizens go against the spirit of solidarity, welcome and respect for the fundamental rights that thousands of Colombians have been demonstrating.”41 Delegates should take into account that even though the Ven-ezuelan situation is more prominent in Latin America, coun-tries around the world face similar instances of alienation and discrimination against refugees and immigrants. Therefore, international cooperation is needed to evaluate how to man-age xenophobia and hateful acts.42

Conclusion

Combating Xenophobia, Racism, and related intolerance is a broad topic which contains many smaller subtopics. Thus, it is important for delegates to fully understand the various as-pects of the issue in order to have a comprehensive debate. Even though this is a worldwide conflict that affects millions of people annually and the UN has created multiple initiatives to tackle it, the problem remains. The topics included in this guide are the most updated facts on the issue and should be used as a complement to the information presented in the Background Guide. Delegates should consider this informa-tion during their preparation for the conference and, since the topic to be discussed is evolving every day, it is crucial to research for new global developments.

38 Ibid.39 Ibid.40 Ibid.41 “Naciones Unidas condena el incremento de la xenofobia contra la población venezolana en Colombia,” El Venezolano en Colombia, 1 December 2019, accessed 30 December 2019, https://www.elvenezolanocolombia.com/2019/12/naciones-unidas-condena-el-incremento-de-la-xenofobia-contra-la-poblacion-venezolana-en-colombia/.42 Lazaro, “Venezuela refugee crisis.”

SOCHUM

NHSMUN 2020

Photo Credit: Mstyslav Chernov

Topic B:Human Rights Violations in Refugee Camps

|13Topic b: humAn RighTs ViolATions in Refugee cAmpsinTRoducTion

Introduction

1 “Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017,” UNHCR, 25 June 2018. https://www.unhcr.org/5b27be547.pdf.2 “Module 3: Food, Water, Sanitation, and Housing in Refugee Camps,” Unite for Sight, accessed 23 June 2019, www.uniteforsight.org/refugee-health/module3.3 “Bangladesh: Clampdown on Rohingya Refugees,” Human Rights Watch, last modified 7 September 2019.4 “Bangladesh Turning Refugee Camps into Open-Air Prisons,” Human Rights Watch, last modified 26 November 2019.5 “Bangladesh: Clampdown on Rohingya Refugees.”6 Ibid.7 Ibid.8 Ibid.9 Ibid.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), by the end of 2017, more than 68.5 million individuals “were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, or generalized violence.”1 They are then driven to refugee camps in various host countries as a tem-porary solution for the problem at hand in their origin country. However, the tendency for host countries to increase restrictions on daily life inside refugee camps makes it difficult for residents to fully exercise their freedom, such as that of movement and access to the internet. Within refugee camps, insufficient health care, severe overcrowding, and food shortages persist, among other human rights concerns.2 While these camps are meant to serve as a center of support for refugees, there are instances where they harm more than assist the status of refugees. The need to address the lack of comfort and adequate housing conditions for the mass of men, women, and children in need is imperative and requires not only awareness, but also action.

Restriction on Internet and Communications

The use of the Internet and online communication services plays a major role in forging worldwide connections, inter-actions, and decisions. These technologies are important in the daily lives of much of the world and are frequently used to shape individuals’ agendas and actions. In refugee camps, these services are a luxury for refugees. However, a recent set of restrictions on Internet use in some campus has taken away these privileges, putting refugees at a disadvantage. Though this ban is not one every camp establishes, it is becoming popular in these facilities as restrictions and limitations are increasingly being placed.

In the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission ordered mobile network operators to shut down the 3G and 4G services be-tween the times of 5 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily.3 As a result, more than 900,000 Rohingya refugees are isolated from the outside world and prevented from using vital services regarding com-munication, health, and security.4 The motivation behind this shutdown is to enhance security measures, but authorities fail to explain how these actions will lead to a safer environ-

ment.5 It also appears to be in response to a string of recent incidents involving Rohingya refugees. Among these is the Bangladeshi government’s attempt to send Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar on 22 August 2019, which failed due to the refugees’ insistence that Myanmar’s current conditions were too unsafe for return.6 Since the death of Omar Faruk, a lo-cal leader who was allegedly killed by four Rohingya refugees, the government has continued to increase its security and military presence.7 However, there have been cases of more harassment than protection.8 For example, Rohingya activists gave reports regarding people they referred to as “protectors” turning on the refugees following a peaceful gathering in or-der to spark conversation with the Myanmar government.9 While the motivation behind these new establishments is said to be regarding security measures, they infringe on the rights of refugees and must be addressed accordingly.

The lack of communication and access to the Internet restricts refugees’ freedom of movement, right to higher education, and opportunity to pursue a better life. On the path to access-ing refugee camps and meeting survival and security needs, refugees require information usually retrieved through the use

14|Topic b: humAn RighTs ViolATions in Refugee cAmpsinTRoducTion

of the Internet and telecommunications. However, due to the lack of sufficient available technology to the refugees, they are left at a disadvantage and are at-risk when not in a safe refugee camp or in a camp at all. According to a research study on the importance of refugee communication needs, the most crucial information necessary to determine their next destina-tion was almost always unattainable from humanitarian actors “because they did not know the answers or because they were restricted in what information they were able to provide.”10 If there is little to no reliable information on a possibly better camp or area, the refugees are forced to stay in the current fa-cilities regardless of the poor conditions. The ability to obtain an education, therefore, is also stripped as a result of the lack of Internet use and from the lack of ability to move out of, or between, camps. Refugee facilities already have a limited num-ber of resources, but “access to a phone and mobile network may be a key component to the knowledge sharing and social structure that creates higher education pathways in refugee camps.”11 Without said resources, residents are left with little opportunity to receive or find an education that is as easily ac-cessible outside of the Internet.

In addition, refugees in well-established camps use the Inter-net for a variety of reasons, including “communication with loved ones, feeling connected, overcoming isolation, and hav-ing their stories told.”12 However, the decision to restrict In-ternet use in less-established camps further isolates these indi-viduals from their families, preventing them from maintaining communication with loved ones and the outside world. Main-taining contact allows the refugees to stay up to date on cur-rent issues and events that might affect them and their status, for example mass deportations or the involvement of other countries and their governments. According to research con-ducted in “Technology’s Refuge,” use of telecommunications 10 Theo Hannides, Nicola Bailey, and Dwan Kaoukji, “Voices of Refugees: Information and Communication Needs of Refugees in Greece and Germany,” Humanitarian Practice Network, last modified September 2016.11 Negin and Sarah Dryden-Peterson, “Tracing Pathways to Higher Education for Refugees: The Role of Virtual Support Networks and Mobile Phones for Women in Refugee Camps,” Comparative Education 53, No. 2 (3 April 2017): 284–301, https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2016.1259877.12 Ying Xu and Carleen Maitland, “Communication Behaviors When Displaced: A Case Study of Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp,” Associa-tion for Computing Machinery, 3 June 2016.13 Linda Leung, Cath Finney, and Liz Emrys, “Technology’s Refuge: The Use of Technology by Asylum Seekers and Refugees,” UTSe-Press, (1 January 2009): 14–18, accessed 2 January 2020, file:///home/chronos/u-963b89b567d916c73a9243cacd8d651336a2a62e/MyFiles/Downloads/TechnologysRefuge%20(1).pdf.14 Ibid.15 “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.,” United Nations, 10 December 1948.16 “Connecting Refugees,” UNHCR, September 2016, https://www.unhcr.org/publications/operations/5770d43c4/connecting-refugees.html.

and postal services is already limited due to cost and unreli-

ability.13 Many refugees the group interviewed discussed the

struggle to use these forms of communication, resulting in

some being forced to cut all contact with their loved ones

since phone lines were often jammed or unresponsive and let-

ters were often delayed or left unconfirmed on whether they

were sent out or not.14

A restriction on online communications leads to the infringe-

ment of the refugees’ freedom of speech and expression,

which prevents them from speaking out against the human

rights violations made inside the camps. Governments of host

countries may think to use a ban or restriction on Internet use

and online communications as a method of controlling the

spread of information about living conditions inside the refu-

gee camps to prevent outside interference from humanitarian

organizations or outside countries. This could be seen as a

violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Hu-

man Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of opinion

and expression and allows the individual to pursue, receive,

and communicate information regardless of how without in-

terference.15 Accordingly, the UNHCR plans to advocate for

the expansion of networks in locations that have limited or no

3G capability, to include the locations of refugees and refu-

gee camps in electrification plans and to consider investing

in Wi-Fi network infrastructures among many other plans of

action to provide sufficient Internet and online communica-

tion to refugee camps.16 The continuation of doing so and

other movements towards the advancement of technology for

those who have been denied the use of it is another step to-

wards restoring human rights violations.


Deplorable Living Conditions in Refugee Camps

Refugee camps take many shapes and forms. In most cases, they accommodate people displaced due to the political, eco-nomic, or ecological turmoil in their home countries. Although there are many reasons for the displacement of individuals on a large scale, the aims of refugee camps remain unitary. Be they ran by government officials or by representatives of NGOs, refugees in these camps should be treated with dignity and respect afforded to them by the UN and their host na-tions. This include but are not limited to the right to health, the right to safety, and the right to an acceptable quality of life. Despite the perceived commitment to these values , time and time again refugee camps have acted in violation of these beliefs. One of the worst offenders of these fights is the of Camp Moria in Lesbos, Greece.

Greece has found itself in a unique political situation in re-17 Young, Holly. “Desperate Refugees Face up to Closure of Moria Camp.” Aljazeera. Last Modified 27 November 2019.

cent years. Following several years of economic instability as a result of a debt crisis, the country saw an influx of refugees fleeing political instability in the Middle East and Africa. Eu-rope is a popular destination for refugees due to its political stability and economic prosperity, and Greece has found it-self as the gateway to the rest of Europe for these refugees. Unprepared for the sheer number of displaced people, the Greek government was forced to construct, and in many cases repurpose, camps to place these refugees until they could be better accounted for. Located in the north Aegean Sea, the island of Lesbos is home to the former military base Camp Lesbos. Originally meant to house an estimated 2,000-3,0000 servicemembers, the camp is now home to almost 20,000 ref-ugees17, with more arriving every day. This number is indica-tive of the many problems that the residents of Camp Moria face as a result of overcrowding and lack of access to neces-sary health services.

Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar

16|Topic b: humAn RighTs ViolATions in Refugee cAmpsinTRoducTion

Quality of life for the residents of Camp Moria is substantially lacking, as residents are faced with the sparsity or total lack of important services and facilities. Forced to live in small, over-crowded tents, residents often wait in lines for hours on end in order for access to the bathroom, receive medical attention, or to receive food and other supplies. Residents often wait four hours for meals they receive twice a day except on days where they must fill out paperwork or receive medical care, in which case they avoid the line all together and do not receive food or water18. In many cases, those in line wear diapers because they are forced to soil themselves while waiting in line19. This is but one example of the many violations of human dignity that has routinely occurs at refugee camps the world over. This international issue must be treated in an international fashion, with nations, NGOs, and non state actors working coopera-tively to fix this issue on both a local and global level.

The most atrocious of these violations is the absence of proper medical care for refugees. Because of the unhygienic living conditions of the camp, in addition to the large number of residents jam packed in its walls, the camp has become a breeding ground for disease. In a similar way that physical health is overlooked, mental health is another facet of a refu-gee’s wellbeing that is woefully undermanaged. Most of the refugees in the camp fled warzones in their own country. This, paired with their struggles in reaching the camp, has resulted in mental health issues, including but not limited to . The lack of medical professionals accommodating for these issues as well as overcrowded and static conditions in the camp have only exasperated these problems. Violence, including sexual violence, has skyrocketed as the situation becomes more des-perate. Suicide attempts are often high, but due to the over-crowded nature of the camp, most attempts are not success-ful, but the victim is often left with damage to their health.

Crowded with tens of thousands of residents living in poorly constructed shacks and tents, Camp Moria seems like a literal tinderbox ready to light due to its poorly wired electricity .On 29 September 2019, a fire broke out resulting in the death of a widow20. Although tragic, many claim it was lucky that the en-18 Kingsley, Patrick. “‘Better to Drown’: A Greek Refugee Camp’s Epidemic of Misery.” The New York Times, October 2, 2019.19 Daniel Howden, “Behind the Razor Wire of Greece’s Notorious Refugee Camp,” The Guardian, last modified October 5, 2019.20 Ibid.21 Clement Nicholas, “‘Hell on Earth’: The Moria Refugee Camp on the Greek Island of Lesbos,” Translated by Rob Kirby, EURACTIV, 11 January 2019.

tirety of the camp did not catch fire due to the current lack of fire safety. Residents were able to tame the fire using bottles to dump water on the flames. As a result of the fire and the general lack in quality of life, many residents have taken up to protest the camp administrators as well as the government responsible for the camp.

Greece’s newly elected conservative government has pledged to move the residents of the camps to newly built facilities on the mainland. Despite this pledge, these plans have faced dif-ficulty due in part to the lack of space for the residents as well as the influx of people entering camp mori that outnumbers those actually leaving. This is also a reflection of the changing attitudes of Europe as a whole, with many nations becoming less accepting of refugees. Many in the European Union call-ing for the overhaul and the revisiting of the EU asylum sys-tem, the Dublin Regulation, but there is little political stamina for it currently.21 Once welcomed with open arms, refugees have either lost favorability or have been seen as antagonists by many citizens as well as public officials. If the international community allows the injustices of Camp Moria to occur, not only will more refugees suffer, but it will only serve to lower the global standard of other refugee camps. If this moderately well-off country cannot take care of those wishing to take ref-uge in its borders, many other nations may use this to excuse their own poor treatment of refugees.

Conclusion

When refugees leave their respective home nations, they do so with reluctance. They often do so to avoid violence, persecu-tion, and try and find a place where they can freely practice their pre-ordained human rights. Refugee camps are meant to serve as the steppingstone between these two worlds. How-ever, these camps fail to do so when they place very similar restrictions on people’s freedom, which is what they sought to escape. From freedom of movement, the guarantees of food and housing, the freedom from reckless violence and dismay, these rights promised by the UN to every man wom-an and child has been recklessly ignored in many of these


camps, with policies running counter to the ideals and goals of Third Committee. Delegates should utilize a multitude of resources to not only resolve these issues, but to also prevent their occurrence in the future. Be it through government, in-ternational, or non-governmental organizations, through the use of modern-day technology and digital infrastructure, or though economic or humanitarian aid, delegates should strive for a position paper that is both multifaceted in its approach and its solutions.

18|sochumWoRks ciTed

Works Cited

Topic A

UN sources

“Anti Semitism, intolerance, can be unlearned, Guterres tells New York commemoration.” UN News, 7 November 2019. Ac-cessed 1 December 2019. https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/11/1050911

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said in a speech at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York:“ Since nobody is born to hate, intolerance can be prevented and unlearned.” He talked about how anti-Semitism is still with us and called for urgent actions by parents, teachers and political leaders.

“Antisemitism.” UN News. Accessed 1 December 2019. https://news.un.org/en/tags/anti-semitism Compilation of news and UN interviews, reports, and speeches about anti-Semitism. Examples: Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief warned:” The growth of antisemitism worldwide is a sign that other forms of hatred and xenophobia are becoming more destructive and widespread”

Non- UN sources

“ADL Tracker of Anti-Semitic Incidents.” Anti Defamation League. Accessed 16 December 2019. https://www.adl.org/adl-track-er-of-anti-semitic-incidents?field_incident_location_state_target_id=4787

ADL’s Tracker of Anti-Semitic Incidents helps us to compile all the recent cases of anti-Jewish vandalism, harassment, and assault reported or detected by ADL. Examples: Swastika vandalism discovered on the Coney Island boardwalk on November 2019, Syracuse University reported an anti-Semitic graffiti depicting a swastika in a campus dormitory, two orthodox Jewish teens were harassed in Brooklyn.

“Anti-Semitism in the US.” Anti Defamation League. Accessed 31 December 2019. https://www.adl.org/what-we-do/anti-semi-tism/anti-semitism-in-the-us.

ADL’s educational programs to fight anti Semitism and other intolerance problems.

“Anti-Semitic incidents.” The Coordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism. Accessed 16 December 2019. https://antisemitism.org.il/en/.

The Coordination Forum for Countering Antisemitism is a National forum that monitors antisemitic activities throughout the world.

Apke, Charles. “Nationalism and Anti-Semitism in Europe.” University of Cincinnati, 12 April 2019. Accessed 16 December 2019. https://journals.uc.edu/index.php/Undergradshowcase/article/view/1377.

Study case about the relation between far-right nationalism and the increase of anti-Semitism. It is useful to understand the possible reasons behind the anti-Semitic attacks in Europe.

Armstrong, Mia. “Venezuelans in Peru worry that media’s focus on crime spurs lies, hatred.” Cronkite News. 2 May 2019. Ac-cessed 30 December 2019. https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2019/05/02/venezuela-migrants-media-resentment/.

Example of headlines used by Peruvian newscasters, journals and newspapers in order to spread collective fear and xenophobia within the local popula-tion. In addition, it explains the way of generalizing crimes committed by Venezuelans is a regular action in this context and how they always use this

|19sochumWoRks ciTed

news as the main headlines.

Cara Labrador, Rocio. “The Venezuelan Exodus.” Council on Foreign Relations. 8 July 2019. Accessed 15 December 2019. https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/venezuelan-exodus.

Countries in Latin America were Venezuelan immigrants are settling down. The countries are organized from the highest Venezuelan migration to the lowest. Number of Venezuelans residing in Colombia, Peru, Chile, United States, Ecuador and Spain.

Curwin, Thomas. “Beverly Hills police investigate vandalism at Nessah Synagogue as a hate crime.” Los Angeles Times. 14 Decem-ber 2019. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-14/beverly-hills-police-vandalism-nessah-synagogue-hate-crime.

News article detailing an anti-Semitic attack in California

Dobson, Paul. “Wave of Xenophobia Against Venezuelans in Peru Sparks Diplomatic Spat.” Venezuelanalysis. 30 September 2019. Accessed 29 November 2019. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14674.

The beating of a Venezuelan woman by the Peruvian police corps in the streets. A manifestation organized by the Peruvian people in favor of the xenophobic acts against Venezuelans.

Gómez, Nathali. “”Maduro, recoge tu basura, fuera venecos”: qué hay detrás de la xenofobia contra venezolanos en Perú.” RT. 3 October 2019. Accessed 29 November 2019. https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/329109-motivos-xenofobia-venezolanos-peru.

Peruvian people manifest in favor of the discrimination and xenophobia against Venezuelans and the origin of a new discriminatory name for Ven-ezuelans. Peruvians are attacking Venezuelan street-vendors and taking away their merchandise. Congresswoman, Esther Saavedra, says Venezuelans should leave Peru. Peruvian Security Experts indicate that social media in Peru is creating a “collective fear” and promoting xenophobia. Venezuelans are responsible only for 0.61% of criminal offenses in the

Henly, Jon. “Anti Semitism rising sharply across Europe, latest figures show.” The Guardian. 15 February 2019. Accessed 30 December 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/15/antisemitism-rising-sharply-across-europe-latest-figures-show.

Statistics about the increase of anti-Semitism in France and Germany during 2019.

Lazaro, Ana. “Venezuela refugee crisis: ‘we are beginning to see outbreaks of xenophobia.’” Euronews. 31 October 2019. Ac-cessed 15 December 2019. https://www.euronews.com/2019/10/31/venezuela-refugee-crisis-we-are-beginning-to-see-outbreaks-of-xenophobia.

Explanation of how public services in hosting countries are under great pressure. There is a desperate need from these countries with large Venezuelan immigrant rates to be helped by the international community to maintain order and stability in their own countries seeing that some infrastructure is not made for receiving such large masses of people.

McNamara, Audrey. “Jersey City attackers are suspects in earlier killing of Uber driver.” CBS News, 11 December 2019. Accessed 16 December 2019. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jersey-city-shooting-attackers-david-anderson-francine-graham-are-suspects-in-earlier-killing-of-uber-driver/.

Report about the Anti- Semitic attack on a Kosher supermarket in New Jersey and NYPD questioning line.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jersey-city-shooting-attackers-david-anderson-francine-graham-are-suspects-in-earlier-killing-of-uber-driver/


“Naciones Unidas condena el incremento de la xenofobia contra la población venezolana en Colombia.” El Venezolano en Co-lombia. 1 December 2019. Accessed 30 December 2019. https://www.elvenezolanocolombia.com/2019/12/naciones-unidas-condena-el-incremento-de-la-xenofobia-contra-la-poblacion-venezolana-en-colombia/.

Declaration of UN’s Colombian Directors regarding the treatment towards Venezuelan immigrant in Colombia.

“¡Ojo con la xenofobia!” Semana. 30 November 2019. Accessed 30 December 2019. https://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/xenofobia-en-contra-de-los-venezolanos-esta-disparada-en-colombia/642695.

During the latest Colombian protest against Duque’s conservative government, rumors were spread that vandalism and other petty crimes were com-mitted by Venezuelans, later that night these rumors were declared fake by the former mayor of Bogotá, Enrique Peñalosa. A study released by the Fundación de Ideas para la Paz (FIP) (Foundation of Ideas for Peace) indicates that 74% of Colombian Twitter users sees the Venezuelan migration as a negative thing for Colombia. Rocio Castañeda, member of the UNHRC in Colombia, says that the arguments in favor of the negative side view of the Venezuelan migration to Colombia are not supported by real facts.

Pancevski, Bojan. “One in Four Europeans Holds Anti-Semitic Views, Survey Shows.” The Wall Street Journal. 21 November 2019. Accessed 16 December 2019. https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-in-four-europeans-holds-anti-semitic-views-survey-shows-11574339097.

Compilation of surveys that show the increase of anti-Semitism in Europe during the last years.

“Prosecutors in Peru probe mayor for discrimination against Venezuelans.” Reuters. 31 0cober 2019. Accessed 30 December 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-migration-peru/prosecutors-in-peru-probe-mayor-for-discrimi-nation-against-venezuelans-idUSKCN1RE02K.

Henry Lopez, the mayor of Huancayo committed discrimination and incitement to discrimination, the office said on Twitter. Peru’s constitution bans discrimination on the basis of origin, race, sex, language, religion, opinion or economic status. In a public statement, Lopez blamed Venezuelans for what he claimed was a spike in crime and street hawking in Huancayo and promised to pass a municipal ordinance requiring companies to ensure locals made up at least 80% of their workforce. He also suggested a Venezuelan immigrant who had been working as a security guard plotted to kill a local man whose death is still under investigation. “I was elected to bring order to the city. They’ll call me xenophobic, but I don’t mind,” Lopez said in the statement. “Today I declare ‘Huancayo free of Venezuelans.’”

Riegert, Bernd. “Anti-Semitism on the rise in the European Union.” Deutsche Welle, 14 October 2019. Accessed 30 November 2019. https://www.dw.com/en/anti-semitism-on-the-rise-in-the-eu/a-50820057.

According to research by the Vienna-based European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), anti-Semitism is growing in Europe. Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, a scientific adviser to the FRA, says “aside from the horrific crimes perpetrated in Halle, harassment, verbal abuse, and belittling of Jews has become ‘normal’ in some European societies today — that is a deeply worrying trend.”

Sales, Ben. “Anti-Semitism is spiking in Brooklyn, and officials don’t know why.” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 12 November 2019. Ac-cessed 15 December 2019. https://www.jta.org/2019/11/12/united-states/what-is-causing-the-spike-in-anti-semitic-attacks-in-brooklyn.

The New York Police Department perspective about the sharp increase of anti-Semitism in the area and ADL’s initiative to donate for the organiza-tion “No Place for Hate” because they believe in education to fight against intolerance.

“Venezuela crisis guide and how to help.” World Vision. 29 November 2019. Accessed 15 December 2019 https://www.worldvi-sion.ca/stories/disaster-relief/venezuela-crisis-facts-and-how-to-help.

|21sochumWoRks ciTed

Explanation of Venezuelan political, economic and humanitarian crisis and why are these competent reasons for the Venezuelan Exodus. Number of people leaving Venezuela daily.= and number of Venezuelans in Colombia.

Wyss, Jim. “A nation is vanishing: Has Venezuela lost almost 20 percent of its population?.” Miami Herald. 13 August 2019. Accessed 30 December 2019. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/arti-cle233947387.html.

Percentage of the Venezuelan population that has migrated to other Latin American countries. Declarations say that 19% of the population is leaving outside of their national territory making it 6 million Venezuelans out of the last recorded 31 million.

Topic B

UN Sources

A/RES/217. “Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” United Nations. 10 December 1948.This source outlines an individual’s human rights, especially refugees.’

“Connecting Refugees.” UNHCR, September 2016. https://www.unhcr.org/publications/operations/5770d43c4/connecting-refugees.html.

This source explains one step the UNHCR is taking to solve these issues.

“Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2017.” UNHCR, 25 June 2018. https://www.unhcr.org/5b27be547.pdf.This source includes statistics on the global displacement of refugees in 2017.

Non-UN Sources

“Bangladesh: Clampdown on Rohingya Refugees.” Human Rights Watch. Last modified 7 September 2019. https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/07/bangladesh-clampdown-rohingya-refugees.

This source explained and provided information on the cut of Internet usage in the Rohingya refugee camps and the treatment of refugees by the gov-ernment.

“Bangladesh Turning Refugee Camps into Open-Air Prisons.” Human Rights Watch. Last modified 26 November 2019. https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/11/26/bangladesh-turning-refugee-camps-open-air-prisons.

This source provides background information on the Rohingya refugee camp and its recent Internet restrictions.

Dahya, Negin, and Sarah Dryden-Peterson. “Tracing Pathways to Higher Education for Refugees: The Role of Virtual Support Networks and Mobile Phones for Women in Refugee Camps.” Comparative Education 53, No. 2 (3 April 2017): 284–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2016.1259877.

This source explains the importance of having accessible phone and mobile networks to have a good education for refugees.

Hannides, Theo, Nicola Bailey, and Dwan Kaoukji. “Voices of Refugees: Information and Communication Needs of Refugees in Greece and Germany.” Humanitarian Practice Network. Last modified September 2016. https://odihpn.org/magazine/voices-refugees-information-communication-needs-refugees-greece-germany/.


This source explains the lack of sufficient communication to refugees in camps.

Howden, Daniel. “Behind the Razor Wire of Greece’s Notorious Refugee Camp.” The Guardian, Last modified 5 October 2019. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/05/the-truth-about-the-fire-in-greeces-notorious-refugee-camp.

The article follows several accounts of refugees from various countries at camp Moria and the precarious situation there (most recently the fire that resulted in the death of a woman)

Kingsley, Patrick. “‘Better to Drown’: A Greek Refugee Camp’s Epidemic of Misery.” The New York Times. 2 October 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/02/world/europe/greece-lesbos-moria-refugees.html.

Medical care is urgently needed in Camp Moria, as many refugees suffer from both physical and psychological harm, (many of these cases stem from the poor conditions in the camps)

Leung, Linda, Cath Finney, and Liz Emrys. “Technology’s Refuge: The Use of Technology by Asylum Seekers and Refugees.” UTSePress, (1 January 2009): 14–18. accessed 2 January 2020, file:///home/chronos/u-963b89b567d916c73a9243cacd-8d651336a2a62e/MyFiles/Downloads/TechnologysRefuge%20(1).pdf.

This research provided first-hand accounts from refugees on their experiences with telecommunication and postal services in the camps.

Nicolas, Clement. “‘Hell on Earth’: The Moria Refugee Camp on the Greek Island of Lesbos.” Translated by Rob Kirby. EURA-CTIV, 11 January 2019. https://www.euractiv.com/section/future-eu/news/moria-refugee-camp-on-greek-island-of-lesbos-hell-on-earth/.

International reports denote the lack of medical care as well as staff shortages as the reasons the conditions at the camp are so deplorable,

“Module 3: Food, Water, Sanitation, and Housing in Refugee Camps.” Unite for Sight. Accessed 23 June 2019. www.uniteforsight.org/refugee-health/module3.

This source outlined few of the human rights violations in the camps.

Xu, Ying and Carleen Maitland. “Communication Behaviors When Displaced: A Case Study of Zaatari Syrian Refugee Camp.” Association for Computing Machinery. 3 June 2016.

This case study explains the importance of having the ability to communicate for refugees while staying in camps.

Young, Holly. “Desperate Refugees Face up to Closure of Moria Camp.” Aljazeera. Last Modified 27 November 2019. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/desperate-refugees-face-closure-moria-camp-191127125846160.html.

Camp residents and humanitarian watchers are left aghast as refugees are subject to inhumane living conditions. Although the government has promised to shut down the camp and relocate the residents, action is far from imminent.

The National High School Model United Nations Con-ference (NHSMUN) is a project of IMUNA, a non-profit organization formally associated with the Unit-ed Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC). IMUNA is dedicated to promoting global issues education through simulation.

Written by Fabiana Blanco, Sean Lisk, Amy Schmidmajer, and Ash-

ley Suthammanont

Edited by Alex Burr, Walker Heintz, Akanksha Sancheti, Althea Tur-

ley, and Alisa Wong

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