Energy Access in Displacement Settings - Revision history

Katherine Patterson: proofreading

2025-04-23T15:21:53Z

proofreading

Show changes

Katherine Patterson: Added citations

2025-04-23T15:02:08Z

Added citations

Katherine Patterson: Added citations

2025-04-23T14:50:35Z

Added citations

Katherine Patterson at 14:18, 23 April 2025

2025-04-23T14:18:13Z

Katherine Patterson: Significant revisions to text

2025-04-23T14:17:31Z

Significant revisions to text

Show changes

Katherine Patterson at 13:58, 12 February 2025

2025-02-12T13:58:55Z

Katherine Patterson at 13:49, 12 February 2025

2025-02-12T13:49:27Z

Katherine Patterson at 13:48, 12 February 2025

2025-02-12T13:48:48Z

Lisafeldmann at 12:56, 12 February 2025

2025-02-12T12:56:58Z

Lisafeldmann at 12:56, 12 February 2025

2025-02-12T12:56:20Z

@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 Many displacement settlements are not connected to national electricity grids due to their remote locations, temporary legal status, or policy barriers that restrict infrastructure investment. As a result, decentralized solutions are often the only viable way to provide electricity access. Solar lanterns and charging devices can provide basic electricity services, while higher capacity solutions such as solar home systems and mini-grids can enable widespread provision of energy services and related public services.
-A mini-grid implemented by Alianza Shire in the Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia powers 16 public services for both displaced and host community members.<ref>Alianza Shire. "Alianza Shire Begins Deploying Solar Mini-Grid in Kobe Refugee Camp." ''Alianza Shire'', July 2, 2024. https://alianzashire.org/en/alianza-shire-begins-deploying-solar-mini-grid-in-kobe-refugee-camp/.</ref> In healthcare, solar systems are increasingly used to power cold chains, lighting for night births, and equipment for diagnostics (GPA). Technologies with productive uses, such as solar water pumps, can increase livelihood opportunities for people living in displacement.
+A mini-grid implemented by Alianza Shire in the Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia powers 16 public services for both displaced and host community members.<ref>Alianza Shire. "Alianza Shire Begins Deploying Solar Mini-Grid in Kobe Refugee Camp." ''Alianza Shire'', July 2, 2024. https://alianzashire.org/en/alianza-shire-begins-deploying-solar-mini-grid-in-kobe-refugee-camp/.</ref> In healthcare, solar systems are increasingly used to power cold chains, lighting for night births, and equipment for diagnostics.<ref>Archimi, Jonathan, Shahaab Javeri, and Katherine Patterson. ''Briefing on Healthcare Electrification in Humanitarian Settings''. Geneva: UNITAR, 2025. https://www.humanitarianenergy.org/assets/resources/Briefing_on_Humanitarian_Health_Facility_Electrification.pdf.</ref> Technologies with productive uses, such as solar water pumps, can increase livelihood opportunities for people living in displacement.
 =='''Delivering Clean Energy Access for Displaced People'''==
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 Both humanitarian agencies and the private sector are increasingly recognizing that displaced people are not just aid recipients, but potential customers and entrepreneurs. In some contexts, public and private partners have begun piloting market-based approaches to closing the energy access gap in fragile and displacement settings. Such models have the potential to reduce reliance on short-term grants in the context of declining humanitarian funding. They are also designed to leverage and strengthen existing local energy markets and supply chains, creating the conditions for long-term sustainable operations beyond the lifespan of individual projects.
-In Mozambique, for example, IOM worked with local communities to co-design energy solutions that would meet their needs and partnered with C-Quest Capital, a consortium of public and private partners, for implementation (IOM). IOM employed a blended, market-based approach that reduced financial risks for companies through subsidies, built local capacity for distribution and after-sales service, and stimulated demand through awareness campaigns and user training. As a result, the project helped catalyze local energy markets and laid the foundation for sustainable, long-term service delivery.
+In Mozambique, for example, IOM worked with local communities to co-design energy solutions that would meet their needs and partnered with C-Quest Capital, a consortium of public and private partners, for implementation.<ref>Matthey-Junod, Anaïs. ''Toolkit for Clean Energy Access in Displacement Settings: New Approach to Building a Participatory and Inclusive Marketplace for Sustainable Energy Solutions''. Geneva: International Organization for Migration, 2024. https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/pub2024-092-r-toolkit-clean-energy-displacement-settings-en.pdf.</ref> IOM employed a blended, market-based approach that reduced financial risks for companies through subsidies, built local capacity for distribution and after-sales service, and stimulated demand through awareness campaigns and user training. As a result, the project helped catalyze local energy markets and laid the foundation for sustainable, long-term service delivery.
 === '''Inclusive and Integrated Energy Planning''' ===
 Aligning humanitarian energy interventions with national and local development, energy, and climate priorities significantly increases the potential scope and likelihood of long-term success for projects. This approach enables more holistic and higher tier solutions by leveraging and building on existing infrastructure, policy frameworks, financing mechanisms, and operations and maintenance capacities. Critically, it creates a win-win scenario where investments benefit both refugee and host communities.
-For example, in Uganda, efforts to include refugee-hosting areas in national energy planning—through initiatives such as the Energy Access Scale-Up Project (EASP) and the Sustainable Energy Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities (SERP)—have attracted funding and supported the development of projects focused on electricity access, productive use, and clean cooking for both displaced and host communities (READS). In southwest Somalia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is partnering with the municipal government of Baidoa to implement renewable energy solutions that both repaired the city’s conflit-degraded power system and supplied new electricity to IDPs living in the adjacent Barwaaqo settlement (GPA video; IOM story).
+For example, in Uganda, efforts to include refugee-hosting areas in national energy planning—through initiatives such as the Electricity Access Scale-Up Project (EASP) and the [[The Sustainable Energy Response Plan (SERP) for Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda|Sustainable Energy Response Plan for Refugees and Host Communities (SERP)]]—have attracted funding and supported the development of projects focused on electricity access, productive use, and clean cooking for both displaced and host communities.<ref>Täuber, Megan, Philip Sandwell, and Epa Ndahimana. ''A Roadmap for Energy Access in Displacement Settings: Uganda''. Geneva: UNITAR, 2023. https://www.humanitarianenergy.org/assets/resources/Compress_Uganda_READS_report.pdf.</ref> In southwest Somalia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is partnering with the municipal government of Baidoa to implement renewable energy solutions that both repaired the city’s conflict-degraded power system and supplied new electricity to IDPs living in the adjacent Barwaaqo settlement (GPA video; IOM story).<ref>Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA). ''Delivering Energy Access in Urban and IDP Settings''. Video of session from the Humanitarian Energy Conference 2024, Nairobi, Kenya, October 7, 2024. YouTube video, 1:44:55. Posted by “Humanitarian Energy,” October 10, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvb9ILRDjNA.</ref><ref>International Organization for Migration (IOM) Somalia. "A Journey to Dignity: The Transformative Story of Barwaaqo Northern Extension." ''IOM Somalia'', March 22, 2025. https://somalia.iom.int/stories/journey-dignity-transformative-story-barwaaqo-northern-extension.</ref>
 == References ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-As of 2024, there were over 130 million people living in displacement as a result of conflict, persecution, or disaster, with nearly 33 million living as refugees, 7 million as asylum seekers and 63 million as internally displaced people (IDPs) (UNHCR). Access to food, water, shelter and medical care are the immediate priorities for people who have been forcefully displaced from their homes, but energy is an important enabler for providing all of these basic life-saving services.
+As of 2024, there were over 130 million people living in displacement as a result of conflict, persecution, or disaster, with nearly 33 million living as refugees, 7 million as asylum seekers and 63 million as internally displaced people (IDPs).<ref>United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). ''Global Appeal 2024''. Geneva: UNHCR, 2023.https://reporting.unhcr.org/global-appeal-2024-6383.</ref> Access to food, water, shelter and medical care are the immediate priorities for people who have been forcefully displaced from their homes, but energy is an important enabler for providing all of these basic life-saving services.
-While displacement is often framed as a short-term emergency, the reality is that many refugees and IDPs spend years living in camps may spend years—or even decades—in these spaces (UNHCR). In protracted situations of displacement, energy access is essential for cooking, lighting, communication, healthcare, education, and safety. Energy access improves displaced people's livelihood opportunities, self-reliance, and resilience.
+While displacement is often framed as a short-term emergency, the reality is that many refugees and IDPs spend years living in camps may spend years—or even decades—in these spaces.<ref>USA for UNHCR. "Protracted Refugee Situations Explained." ''USA for UNHCR''. Accessed April 23, 2025. https://www.unrefugees.org/news/protracted-refugee-situations-explained/.</ref> In protracted situations of displacement, energy access is essential for cooking, lighting, communication, healthcare, education, and safety. Energy access improves displaced people's livelihood opportunities, self-reliance, and resilience.
 == '''Energy Access in Displacement Settings Today''' ==
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 === '''Cooking Energy''' ===
-The limited data that is available suggests that at least 80% of displaced people living in camps today cook with firewood or other sources of biomass (SOEHS). This dependency can have serious negative consequences, driving deforestation around camps, causing tension with host communities, and exposing women and girls to high risks of gender-based violence during firewood collection. According to WHO, around 3.2 million people a year die prematurely from illnesses attributable to household air pollution, a major cause of which is inhaling smoke from open fires or inefficient stoves (WHO ). In environments where firewood is not readily available or affordable, people may also resort to burning waste, plastics and other toxic materials for heat.
+The limited data that is available suggests that at least 80% of displaced people living in camps today cook with firewood or other sources of biomass.<ref name=":0">Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA). ''The State of the Humanitarian Energy Sector: Challenges, Progress and Issues in 2022''. Geneva: UNITAR Publishing, 2022. https://www.humanitarianenergy.org/assets/resources/SOHES.pdf.</ref> This dependency can have serious negative consequences, driving deforestation around camps, causing tension with host communities, and exposing women and girls to high risks of gender-based violence during firewood collection. According to WHO, around 3.2 million people a year die prematurely from illnesses attributable to household air pollution, a major cause of which is inhaling smoke from open fires or inefficient stoves.<ref>World Health Organization. "Household Air Pollution and Health." ''World Health Organization''. Last updated December 15, 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health.</ref> In environments where firewood is not readily available or affordable, people may also resort to burning waste, plastics and other toxic materials for heat.
 === '''Lighting and Electricity''' ===
-Electricity access in camp settings is extremely limited, with some estimates suggesting that close to 90% of refugees lack access (SOEHS). Where they are accessible, kerosene lamps, solar lanterns, and mobile phone torches often used due to lack of alternatives. Without proper lighting, movement after dark becomes dangerous. Children can’t study at night, and small businesses can’t operate beyond daylight hours. Health clinics often operate without reliable power, limiting their ability to provide essential services like childbirth support or vaccine refrigeration.
+Electricity access in camp settings is extremely limited, with some estimates suggesting that close to 90% of refugees lack access.<ref name=":0" /> Where they are accessible, kerosene lamps, solar lanterns, and mobile phone torches often used due to lack of alternatives. Without proper lighting, movement after dark becomes dangerous. Children can’t study at night, and small businesses can’t operate beyond daylight hours. Health clinics often operate without reliable power, limiting their ability to provide essential services like childbirth support or vaccine refrigeration.
 === '''Environmental Impacts''' ===
-The energy systems used in many camps are not only inadequate—they can worsen situations of fragility. The vast majority of displaced people rely on polluting fuels that degrade air quality and local ecosystems. For example, in the Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda, woodfuel consumption reached over 300,000 tonnes in 2017 alone (UNHCR). The resulting environmental degradation from firewood harvesting can drive tensions between displaced and host communities as well as worsen desertification in regions already under climate stress.
+The energy systems used in many camps are not only inadequate—they can worsen situations of fragility. The vast majority of displaced people rely on polluting fuels that degrade air quality and local ecosystems. For example, in the Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda, woodfuel consumption reached over 300,000 tonnes in 2017 alone.<ref>UNHCR. "FAO and UNHCR Launch New Tool to Save Forests in Displacement-Affected Areas." ''UNHCR'', June 20, 2018.https://www.unhcr.org/news/news-releases/fao-and-unhcr-launch-new-tool-save-forests-displacement-affected-areas.</ref> The resulting environmental degradation from firewood harvesting can drive tensions between displaced and host communities as well as worsen desertification in regions already under climate stress.
 === '''Financial Burden''' ===
-Despite being among the poorest communities in the world, displaced people can pay high costs for energy relative to their income. Collectively, they are estimated to spend over $2 billion per year on inefficient energy solutions, often at inflated prices due to lack of competition and formal markets (Lahn & Grafham). While humanitarian agencies often distribute food rations to displaced people, cooking fuel is rarely included and so the cost must be borne by refugees themselves (HEDON). For example, one survey found that households in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya spend an average of 24% of their limited income on cooking fuel (Lehne et al.). Where commercial sources of electricity are available, they may be pricey diesel generators. In many cases, the cost burden of procuring energy prevents families from meeting other essential needs.
+Despite being among the poorest communities in the world, displaced people can pay high costs for energy relative to their income. Collectively, they are estimated to spend over $2 billion per year on inefficient energy solutions, often at inflated prices due to lack of competition and formal markets.<ref>Lahn, Glada, and Owen Grafham. ''Heat, Light and Power for Refugees: Saving Lives, Reducing Costs''. London: Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/research/2015-11-17-heat-light-power-refugees-lahn-grafham-final.pdf.</ref> While humanitarian agencies often distribute food rations to displaced people, cooking fuel is rarely included and so the cost must be borne by refugees themselves.<ref name=":1">Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. ''Igniting Change: A Strategy for Universal Adoption of Clean Cookstoves and Fuels''. Washington, DC: United Nations Foundation, 2011. https://cleancooking.org/binary-data/RESOURCE/file/000/000/458-2.pdf.</ref> For example, one survey found that households in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya spend an average of 24% of their limited income on cooking fuel.<ref>Lahn, Glada, and Owen Grafham. "Energy Access and Forced Migration." ''Energy Research & Social Science'' 27 (2017): 117–123. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X16300396.</ref> Where commercial sources of electricity are available, they may be pricey diesel generators. In many cases, the cost burden of procuring energy prevents families from meeting other essential needs.
 === '''Gender Inequities''' ===
-Energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls. They may spend hours each day collecting fuel and may face safety threats while pursuing this drudge work (HEDON). Women are also more likely to spend time cooking over a fire, which poses threat to their respiratory health. More daytime hours time spent gathering and cooking with firewood translates into reduced opportunities to engage in education or income generating activities. Without access to energy, progress toward gender equity is severely constrained.
+Energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls. They may spend hours each day collecting fuel and may face safety threats while pursuing this drudge work.<ref name=":1" /> Women are also more likely to spend time cooking over a fire, which poses threat to their respiratory health. More daytime hours time spent gathering and cooking with firewood translates into reduced opportunities to engage in education or income generating activities. Without access to energy, progress toward gender equity is severely constrained.
 == '''Technology Solutions for Clean Energy Access''' ==
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 === '''Clean Cooking Solutions''' ===
-Progress is being made in scaling up access to cleaner alternatives source of cooking energy and fuel, such as improved cookstoves, LPG, ethanol, and solar-powered e-cooking technologies. For example, a large-scale initiative to distribute LPG in the Rohingya refugee camps located in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh implemented by UNHCR, IUCN, the Government of Bangladesh and other partners, led to an estimated 80% reduction in average household firewood demand in only a few years (WLGA). The Energising Development (EnDev) programme led by GIZ and RVO promotes the use of both e-cooking and improved cookstoves fuelled by biomass pellets in fragile and displacement contexts globally, such as Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya (EnDev).
+Progress is being made in scaling up access to cleaner alternatives source of cooking energy and fuel, such as improved cookstoves, LPG, ethanol, and solar-powered e-cooking technologies. For example, a large-scale initiative to distribute LPG in the Rohingya refugee camps located in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh implemented by UNHCR, IUCN, the Government of Bangladesh and other partners, led to an estimated 80% reduction in average household firewood demand in only a few years.<ref>World LPG Association. "The Greening of Cox’s Bazar – The Positive Impact of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) Distribution Among the Refugee and Host Communities." ''World LPG Association'', January 13, 2020. https://www.worldliquidgas.org/news/the-greening-of-coxs-bazar-the-positive-impact-of-liquified-petroleum-gas-lpg-distribution-among-the-refugee-and-host-communities/.</ref> The Energising Development (EnDev) programme led by GIZ and RVO promotes the use of both e-cooking and improved cookstoves fuelled by biomass pellets in fragile and displacement contexts globally, such as Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya.<ref>EnDev and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. ''Behavioural Change Campaign: Promoting Improved Cooking Solutions in Kakuma Refugee Camp – Key Research and Implementation Findings''. April 2022. https://endev.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/EnDev_Behavioural-change-campaign_Kakuma_Refugee_Camp.pdf.</ref>
 === '''Lighting and Electricity Solutions''' ===
 Many displacement settlements are not connected to national electricity grids due to their remote locations, temporary legal status, or policy barriers that restrict infrastructure investment. As a result, decentralized solutions are often the only viable way to provide electricity access. Solar lanterns and charging devices can provide basic electricity services, while higher capacity solutions such as solar home systems and mini-grids can enable widespread provision of energy services and related public services.
-A mini-grid implemented by Alianza Shire in the Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia powers 16 public services for both displaced and host community members (Alianza Shire). In healthcare, solar systems are increasingly used to power cold chains, lighting for night births, and equipment for diagnostics (GPA). Technologies with productive uses, such as solar water pumps, can increase livelihood opportunities for people living in displacement.
+A mini-grid implemented by Alianza Shire in the Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia powers 16 public services for both displaced and host community members.<ref>Alianza Shire. "Alianza Shire Begins Deploying Solar Mini-Grid in Kobe Refugee Camp." ''Alianza Shire'', July 2, 2024. https://alianzashire.org/en/alianza-shire-begins-deploying-solar-mini-grid-in-kobe-refugee-camp/.</ref> In healthcare, solar systems are increasingly used to power cold chains, lighting for night births, and equipment for diagnostics (GPA). Technologies with productive uses, such as solar water pumps, can increase livelihood opportunities for people living in displacement.
 =='''Delivering Clean Energy Access for Displaced People'''==

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 A mini-grid implemented by Alianza Shire in the Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia powers 16 public services for both displaced and host community members (Alianza Shire). In healthcare, solar systems are increasingly used to power cold chains, lighting for night births, and equipment for diagnostics (GPA). Technologies with productive uses, such as solar water pumps, can increase livelihood opportunities for people living in displacement.
-=== '''Strategies for Delivering Clean Energy Access for Displaced People''' ===
+=='''Delivering Clean Energy Access for Displaced People'''==
 While clean energy technologies are becoming more accessible in displacement settings, scaling these solutions demands effective implementation strategies. This often means moving beyond the grant-based, free-distribution models that dominate humanitarian organisations' ways of working. It also requires integrating energy planning for the displaced into the broader development priorities of host countries and communities. As momentum has built around the humanitarian energy challenge and pilot projects have delivered measurable results, effective approaches have begun to emerge for achieving and sustaining long-term clean energy access for displaced people.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:58, 12 February 2025
Line 36:		Line 36:
	Lighting and electricity are also essential for the provision of adequate medical care in displacement contexts. Electricity is needed to power vaccine refrigerators, diagnostic tools, sterilisation equipment and other medical devices, for example. Currently, medical stations in refugee camps and other displacement contexts are most commonly powered by diesel generators, if electricity is available at all. Reliance on diesel results in high fuel costs, environmental pollution and potential supply disruption due to supply chain volatility.<ref name="Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk">Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk</ref>		Lighting and electricity are also essential for the provision of adequate medical care in displacement contexts. Electricity is needed to power vaccine refrigerators, diagnostic tools, sterilisation equipment and other medical devices, for example. Currently, medical stations in refugee camps and other displacement contexts are most commonly powered by diesel generators, if electricity is available at all. Reliance on diesel results in high fuel costs, environmental pollution and potential supply disruption due to supply chain volatility.<ref name="Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk">Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk</ref>

		+	=== Electricity Access Solutions ===
	Connecting displacement camps to the national grid in order to provide them with lighting is often not possible due to their classification as temporary structures and the fact that they are often located in remote areas where it would be costly and challenging for the grid to reach. Many refugee camps are located in countries and areas where even the local population often does not have access to electricity.		Connecting displacement camps to the national grid in order to provide them with lighting is often not possible due to their classification as temporary structures and the fact that they are often located in remote areas where it would be costly and challenging for the grid to reach. Many refugee camps are located in countries and areas where even the local population often does not have access to electricity.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:49, 12 February 2025
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	== Energy in Displacement Settings ==
	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
	'''“Without safe and reliable access to energy, it can be impossible to meet the basic needs of life.” <ref name="Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>'''		'''“Without safe and reliable access to energy, it can be impossible to meet the basic needs of life.” <ref name="Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>'''

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <blockquote>
 '''“Without safe and reliable access to energy, it can be impossible to meet the basic needs of life.”&nbsp;<ref name="Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>'''
 </blockquote>
 Access to food, water, shelter and medical care are the immediate priorities for people who have been forcefully displaced from their homes, either due to war, conflict or natural disasters. However, access to reliable and safe energy is another essential need but one that has received less attention in the past.<ref name="Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref> The situation is starting to change, and many humanitarian actors are acknowledging the crucial role of safe and reliable energy access in improving the quality of life and generating livelihood opportunities for people living in situations of fragility and displacement.
@@ Line 12: / Line 9: @@
 Governments, humanitarian organisations and other key stakeholders often consider refugee and IDP camps as temporary establishments, and it is assumed that inhabitants will at some point return to their original homes. As a result, stakeholders are often reluctant to invest in more substantial energy solutions for camps with higher up-front costs, such as a grid extensions, mini-grids or plug-and-play productive use appliances. Instead, displaced people are often left to rely on more basic energy solutions, such as kerosene and solar lanterns for lighting and biomass for cooking. Many of these sources are unsafe, unhealthy, and burned in an inefficient way.<ref name="GVEP International, n.d. The Moving Energy Initiative: Sustainable Energy for Refugees and Displaced People. [Online] Available at: http://www.gvepinternational.org/en/business/moving-energy-initiative-sustainable-energy-refugees-and-displaced-people [Accessed 15 June 2016].">GVEP International, n.d. The Moving Energy Initiative: Sustainable Energy for Refugees and Displaced People. [Online] Available at: http://www.gvepinternational.org/en/business/moving-energy-initiative-sustainable-energy-refugees-and-displaced-people [Accessed 15 June 2016].</ref>
-While the perception is that displacement is a short-term situation, this is rarely the case. For example, on average people spend '''17 years in a refugee camp'''.<ref name="Pyper, J., 2015. Solar Power to Light Up Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan. [Online] Available at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-power-to-light-up-syrian-refugee-camps-in-jordan [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Pyper, J., 2015. Solar Power to Light Up Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan. [Online] Available at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-power-to-light-up-syrian-refugee-camps-in-jordan [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>&nbsp;Over time, the use of inefficient and polluting energy sources in situations of protracted displacement can have significant health and environmental impacts. [[File:Camp settings.png|none|thumb|700x700px|Typical displacement setting with camp characteristics and types of services available in camp and surrounding host community. Source: GIZ.]]
+While the perception is that displacement is a short-term situation, this is rarely the case. For example, on average people spend '''1'''7 years in a refugee camp.<ref name="Pyper, J., 2015. Solar Power to Light Up Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan. [Online] Available at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-power-to-light-up-syrian-refugee-camps-in-jordan [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Pyper, J., 2015. Solar Power to Light Up Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan. [Online] Available at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-power-to-light-up-syrian-refugee-camps-in-jordan [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>&nbsp;Over time, the use of inefficient and polluting energy sources in situations of protracted displacement can have significant health and environmental impacts. [[File:Camp settings.png|none|thumb|700x700px|Typical displacement setting with camp characteristics and types of services available in camp and surrounding host community. Source: GIZ.]]
 == Energy for Cooking ==
@@ Line 19: / Line 16: @@
 </blockquote>
-Most of the food distributed in camps by humanitarian agencies needs to be cooked before it can be consumed. However, the fuel needed for cooking is usually not provided. <ref name="Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1.">Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1.</ref>&nbsp;Many people address this challenge by collecting firewood from the surrounding area, if available. This not only contributes to environmental problems, such as deforestation and desertification. It can also contribute to tensions between refugees and host communities. In other instances, people may trade food in exchange for fuel or consume undercooked food, which can lead to malnutrition.[[File:2384-TF.jpg|thumb|416x416px|Children gather firewood in a refugee camp in Tanzania. Source: GPA]]Firewood dependency also has gender implications, as women and girls are often tasked with collecting wood. Especially in large camps they may have to walk for hours to find firewood, leaving them less time for other activities, such as looking after their children, working or supporting the refugee community. Furthermore, women and girls may be subjected to gender-based violence during their search for firewood, or they may encounter dangerous wild animals.<ref name="Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1.">Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1.</ref>
+Most of the food distributed in camps by humanitarian agencies needs to be cooked before it can be consumed. However, the fuel needed for cooking is usually not provided.<ref name="Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1." /> Many people address this challenge by collecting firewood from the surrounding area, if available. This not only contributes to environmental problems, such as deforestation and desertification. It can also contribute to tensions between refugees and host communities. In other instances, people may trade food in exchange for fuel or consume undercooked food, which can lead to malnutrition.[[File:2384-TF.jpg|thumb|416x416px|Children gather firewood in a refugee camp in Tanzania. Source: GPA]]Firewood dependency also has gender implications, as women and girls are often tasked with collecting wood. Especially in large camps they may have to walk for hours to find firewood, leaving them less time for other activities, such as looking after their children, working or supporting the refugee community. Furthermore, women and girls may be subjected to gender-based violence during their search for firewood, or they may encounter dangerous wild animals.<ref name="Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1.">Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1.</ref>
 Displaced people who are unable to collect firewood must purchase fuel for cooking, which can be very expensive. For example, in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya it was estimated that, on average, families spend 24% of their income&nbsp;on energy.<ref name="Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>
@@ Line 25: / Line 22: @@
 Cooking with biomass on open fires severely harms people's health. Exposure to smoke from open fires is estimated to cause over 20,000 premature deaths amongst forcibly displaced people each year.<ref name="Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1." />&nbsp;A study in Nepal found that refugees are especially vulnerable to air born respiratory infections caused by smoke. They have a 10-17 higher rate of infection in comparison to people living in non-crisis settings. Furthermore, the risk of burns or setting fire to tents is also heightened by the use of open fires for cooking.&nbsp;<ref name="Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>
-Access to efficient and modern cookstoves can solve some of these problems. Use of these stoves reduces people's spending - in time and money - on cooking fuel. Through improved combustion, efficient stoves also minimize the health risks associated with [[Indoor Air Pollution (IAP)|air pollution]] caused by cooking.[[File:2594-TF.jpg|thumb|448x448px|Clean cookstoves in use in Tanzania. Source: GPA.]]Some stoves can also be used to cook with alternative fuels, such as ethanol, LPG, or solar energy. For example, the Ethiopian charity organization Gaia Association has distribute efficient ethanol cookstoves to refugees living in the Jigjiga refugee camps. The ethanol is made from molasses, a by-product of the large sugar industry in the country. <ref name="Tsehayu, W. T. & Getaneh, D., 2016. Clean and safe energy for cooking: Ethiopian Jigjiga refugee camps. Boiling Point, Issue 68, pp. 16-19.">Tsehayu, W. T. & Getaneh, D., 2016. Clean and safe energy for cooking: Ethiopian Jigjiga refugee camps. Boiling Point, Issue 68, pp. 16-19.</ref>&nbsp;Distribution of the stoves and ethanol fuel has reduced the consumption of firewood in the camp and improved the quality of life for households.
+Access to efficient and modern cookstoves can solve some of these problems. Use of these stoves reduces people's spending - in time and money - on cooking fuel. Through improved combustion, efficient stoves also minimize the health risks associated with [[Indoor Air Pollution (IAP)|air pollution]] caused by cooking.
 For further information on energy for cooking in refugee camps, see "[[Cooking Energy in Refugee Situations|Cooking Energy in Refugee Situations]]" and "[[Cooking Energy in Refugee Camps- Challenges and Opportunities|Cooking Energy in Refugee Camps-Challenges and Opportunities]]."

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 Every year, millions of people are forced to leave their country and live as refugees due to war and persecution. In 2013, the total number of refugees exceeded even those after World War II, and this number has continued to rise since then. <ref name="Global refugee figures highest since WW2, UN says. (2014, June 20). Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-27921938">Global refugee figures highest since WW2, UN says. (2014, June 20). Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-27921938</ref> According to UNHCR, there were around 130.8 million people who were forcefully displaced  in 2024, of which 32.7 million were refugees, 6.6 million were asylum seekers and 62.8 million were internally displaced people.<ref>UNHCR (2024). Global Appeal. [https://reporting.unhcr.org/global-appeal-2024-6383 https://reporting.unhcr.org/globalappeal2022/]</ref>
-== Setting the Context ==
+=== Setting the Context ===
 <blockquote>
 '''“Without safe and reliable access to energy, it can be impossible to meet the basic needs of life.”&nbsp;<ref name="Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Chatham House, n.d. Moving Energy Initiative. [Online] Available at: https://mei.chathamhouse.org/?section=intro [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>'''

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-= Introduction =
+== Introduction ==
 Every year, millions of people are forced to leave their country and live as refugees due to war and persecution. In 2013, the total number of refugees exceeded even those after World War II, and this number has continued to rise since then. <ref name="Global refugee figures highest since WW2, UN says. (2014, June 20). Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-27921938">Global refugee figures highest since WW2, UN says. (2014, June 20). Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-27921938</ref> According to UNHCR, there were around 130.8 million people who were forcefully displaced  in 2024, of which 32.7 million were refugees, 6.6 million were asylum seekers and 62.8 million were internally displaced people.<ref>UNHCR (2024). Global Appeal. [https://reporting.unhcr.org/global-appeal-2024-6383 https://reporting.unhcr.org/globalappeal2022/]</ref>
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 While the perception is that displacement is a short-term situation, this is rarely the case. For example, on average people spend '''17 years in a refugee camp'''.<ref name="Pyper, J., 2015. Solar Power to Light Up Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan. [Online] Available at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-power-to-light-up-syrian-refugee-camps-in-jordan [Accessed 16 June 2016].">Pyper, J., 2015. Solar Power to Light Up Syrian Refugee Camps in Jordan. [Online] Available at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-power-to-light-up-syrian-refugee-camps-in-jordan [Accessed 16 June 2016].</ref>&nbsp;Over time, the use of inefficient and polluting energy sources in situations of protracted displacement can have significant health and environmental impacts. [[File:Camp settings.png|none|thumb|700x700px|Typical displacement setting with camp characteristics and types of services available in camp and surrounding host community. Source: GIZ.]]
-= Energy for Cooking =
+== Energy for Cooking ==
 <blockquote>
 '''In camps in north Darfur, people on average “missed three meals a week when they had food but no fuel to cook."&nbsp;<ref name="Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1.">Arnold, K. et al., 2016. Energy in Emergency Settings. Boiling Point, Issue 68, p. 1. Available: https://cleancooking.org/binary-data/RESOURCE/file/000/000/458-2.pdf</ref>'''
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 For further information on energy for cooking in refugee camps, see "[[Cooking Energy in Refugee Situations|Cooking Energy in Refugee Situations]]" and "[[Cooking Energy in Refugee Camps- Challenges and Opportunities|Cooking Energy in Refugee Camps-Challenges and Opportunities]]."
-= Energy for Lighting =
+== Energy for Lighting ==
 [[File:GIZ EnDev Nepal Boy with Light-reduced02.jpg|thumb|A boy in Nepal reads into the night. Source: GIZ. ]]
 Lack of lighting is another major problem in many displacement contexts. After sunset, camps are often&nbsp;completely dark. This means that many activities can only be completed during the day. For example, children cannot do their homework in the evenings. A lack of public lighting  in camps can also pose safety and security threats. Many people, especially woman and children, do not feel safe walking around the camp after nightfall.&nbsp;<ref name="Bleadale, M., 2012. Light Years Ahead, Geneva: UNHCR.">Bleadale, M., 2012. Light Years Ahead, Geneva: UNHCR.</ref> Meeting lighting needs with the use of kerosene lamps presents further health hazards, as acute and chronic kerosene exposure causes respiratory problems and other impacts. <ref>Health Protection Agency (2006): Compendium of Chemical Hazards: Kerosene (Fuel Oil) fckLR[Online] Available at: http://www.who.int/ipcs/emergencies/kerosene.pdf [Accessed 04 April 2017]</ref>
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 Many solar lanterns also have a USB ports which people can use to charge their mobile phones, which are essential to their ability to communicate and seek information.
-= Financial Implications =
+== Financial Implications ==
 According to an assessment by the Women's Refugee Commission (WRC) in 2005, in humanitarian setting, refugees are provided with food and shelter but rarely with cooking fuel. Energy access for refugees is a basic humanitarian need but has been mostly ignored/undermined. Additionally, a global total of '''USD 2.1 billion''' is spend per year for energy access among displaced people.&nbsp;The majority of this cost is borne by the refugees themselves.<ref>Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. Available at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/research/2015-11-17-heat-light-power-refugees-lahn-grafham-final.pdf</ref>
-= Environmental Degradation and Health Implications =
+== Environmental Degradation and Health Implications ==
 % of the 8.7 million refugees and displaced persons in camps worldwide, rely on traditional biomass for cooking and have no access to electricity. &nbsp;They rely mostly on forest nearby the camps for firewood. As a result,&nbsp;'''64,700 hectares''' of forest are cleared and burned every year in areas near refugees camps.&nbsp;<ref name="Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk"> Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the MLahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEkoving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk </ref>&nbsp;This result in increased competition between refugees and host communities for the dwindling forest resources and accelerating environmental disasters like flooding, increased desertification etc.<ref name="http://cleancookstoves.org/impact-areas/humanitarian/">http://cleancookstoves.org/impact-areas/humanitarian/</ref>
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 Burning traditional biomass for cooking is one of the major cause of indoor air pollution. The WHO estimates that around&nbsp;20,000 forcibly displaced people die prematurely each year from diseases caused by&nbsp;[[Indoor Air Pollution (IAP)|indoor air pollution]].<ref name="Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) in Nyarugusu, Tanzania: A Rapid Assessment Report. (2014).">Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) in Nyarugusu, Tanzania: A Rapid Assessment Report. (2014).</ref>
-= Gender Based Violence (GBV) =
+== Gender Based Violence (GBV) ==
 In most of the refugees camps, women and children are mainly responsible for collecting firewood and in many cases, they travel up to 20 km into unsafe areas to collect firewood. This could lead to cases of sexual assault and robbery among women and children while collecting firewood. In most cases, the women and children, do not report the sexual assault as they are afraid of social stigma as well as further persecution by the police and the local security authority.&nbsp;<ref name="Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) in Nyarugusu, Tanzania: A Rapid Assessment Report. (2014).">Safe Access to Fuel and Energy (SAFE) in Nyarugusu, Tanzania: A Rapid Assessment Report. (2014).</ref>
@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 * [[Publication - Can cooking solutions for refugees better serve gender dynamics?]]
-= Implementing Solutions =
+== Implementing Solutions ==
 Providing refugees with sustainable energy solutions, such of efficient stoves, alternative fuels and solar lighting, could have potential huge positive impacts on their lives as well as on the environment and the host communities. Furthermore, sustainable energy solutions could result in huge potential savings for humanitarian agencies. Introducing improved cookstoves and basic solar lanterns could save '''USD 323 million a year''' in fuel costs in return for a one-time capital investment of USD 335 million for the equipment. It would also save around '''6.85 million TCO<sub>2</sub>''' per year.<ref name="Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk">Lahn, G., & Grafham, O. (2015). Heat, Light and Power for Refugees Saving Lives, Reducing Costs. Chatham House Report for the Moving Energy Initiative. http://bit.ly/1l6cCEk</ref>
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 Recently, FAO has released a [http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5762e.pdf new handbook] on&nbsp;assessing the woodfuel supply and demand in displacement settings. The methodology presented in this handbook presents global data sources that are applicable in any country and are tailored for data collection in and around displacement camps.<ref name="FAO (2016): http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5762e.pdf">FAO (2016): http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5762e.pdf</ref><ref name="http://cleancookstoves.org/about/news/08-26-2016-un-agencies-launch-new-tool-to-help-displaced-populations-manage-fuel-needs.html">http://cleancookstoves.org/about/news/08-26-2016-un-agencies-launch-new-tool-to-help-displaced-populations-manage-fuel-needs.html</ref>
-= Publications =
+== Publications ==
 Publications dealing with the issue of energy access for refugees&nbsp;:
@@ Line 96: / Line 96: @@
 *[http://orbit.dtu.dk/files/138593033/Nyarugusu_Energy_CBA_2017.pdf The true cost of using traditional fuels in a humanitarian setting: Case study of the Nyarugusu refugee camp, Kigoma region, Tanzania]<br />
-= Further Information =
+== Further Information ==
 *[[Cooking Energy in Refugee Situations|Cooking Energy in Refugee Situations]] - article on energypedia
@@ Line 120: / Line 120: @@
 *[https://unhcr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1f2c23f25e5d416ebf7c1c0bc8c749ce Clean Energy Challenge Baseline: initial data visualization]
-= References =
+== References ==
 <references />