Refugee Causes

Question 1

Give the main 4 causes of refugees

Answer 1

• Geopolitical conflict
• Land grabbing
• Drought and climate change
• Civil conflict

Question 2

How does geopolitical conflict cause refugees?

Answer 2

• Berlin Conference, 1884, led to widespread post-colonial political instability
• E.g. Hutu tribe killed 800,000 Tutsi’s in DRC, 2 million Hutu fled following fear of reprisals

Question 3

How does land grabbing cause refugees?

Answer 3

• Land is forcibly seized by MNCs, locals have no legal claim to land
• E.g. Logging in Amazon Basin displaced indigenous tribes

Question 4

Give an example of an area where drought and climate change has caused number of refugees to increase

Answer 4

• Western Africa

- Series of droughts since 1990 caused mass displacement from Ethiopia and Somalia to Kenya

Question 5

Give an example of an area where civil war has caused number of refugees to increase

Answer 5

• Sudan’s semi-arid Dafur region
• Home to African farmers and Arab groups
• 2003-05 land grabbing and conflict between groups led to displacement of 2 million