Newswise — "Refugees are often the most vulnerable victims of war," says Sarah Lischer, assistant professor of political science at Wake Forest University. "The failure of the international community to protect and care for these victims of war perpetuates social injustice." Lischer researches humanitarian crises, military intervention and forced migration, and is author of "Dangerous Sanctuaries: Refugee Camps, Civil War, and the Dilemmas of Humanitarian Aid" (Cornell University Press, 2005).
Having lost their homes and livelihoods, Lischer notes that refugees are utterly dependent on international organizations and their host state for their survival. However, instead of finding protection, she says many displaced persons experience further exploitation and violence in their new locations. Lischer is examining these issues in the case of the current Iraqi refugee crisis. "The United Nations estimates that over 4 million Iraqis are displaced from their homes," she says. "These victims of violence live in abysmal conditions in neighboring Syria and Jordan and within Iraq. The lack of humanitarian assistance to these people perpetuates the social injustices already experienced by the displaced. The United States, in particular, has responded in a lackluster way to this crisis. From 2003 to 2006, the U.S. resettled fewer than 500 Iraqi refugees and consistently under-funded relief efforts."
Lischer is also examining post-conflict justice for returning refugees, who often find their homes occupied or destroyed. "The lack of a functioning legal and justice system impedes reconstruction in war-torn societies. This can perpetuate human rights abuses and even re-ignite violence." Lischer is using as a case study the return of over a million Rwandan refugees following the 1994 genocide.
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