To refugees living in camps, the importance of light and electricity goes well beyond comfort – it stands for security, health, education and an improved quality of life.
Yet nights are often dark in refugee camps around the world, which provide homes to millions of displaced individuals seeking shelter in the wake of natural catastrophes or wars.
Finding a reliable, flexible and affordable source of electricity for refugees could have dramatic implications on their living situation.
Renewable energy technologies are considered a potential candidate to secure electricity to refugee camps, and what makes them so attractive is their ability to transform resources that are free and often abundant – sunlight, wind, or water – into electricity.
If we could find a way to efficiently tap into these resources, the benefits would be immense.
For example, studies have shown that dropout rates from schools in refugee camps are lower when refugees are offered electricity and lighting in their shelters, because students can work on their homework after sunset.
Violence, in particular against women, is curbed when streets are well-lit at night.
And families tend to increase their welfare by pursuing livelihood activities in the evenings.
What is the most suitable power source for camp settings? They are usually in remote areas without access to national electricity grids – and over the past few decades, diesel generators have established themselves as the prevalent source of camp power.
But diesel has drawbacks. It can be difficult to obtain, especially in war-torn regions, and problems in transporting it over long distances can lead to gaps in supply. On top of that come obvious environmental considerations.
For my master’s thesis in energy management and sustainability at EPFL, I worked in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to find ways to optimise power supply and management in refugee camps.
UNHCR operates most of the world’s refugee camps, and it has set better access to energy for refugees as one of its goals.
It wants each individual shelter to have a functioning light bulb and a power outlet to recharge devices such as phones, while at the same time guaranteeing power supply for services such as schools, medical centres, street lights and administrative infrastructure.
Not surprisingly, solar panels came out on top in our evaluation of potential power sources. Most refugee camps are located in Africa and the Middle East, where sunlight is plentiful.
But solar panels only work when the sun is out, while demand for power peaks just before and after sunset.
Dealing with this mismatch — a common challenge, too, in urban areas that are increasing their reliance on photovoltaic energy – calls for the introduction of smart power infrastructure.
Much like smart cities, smart refugee camps would be designed to manage themselves in terms of the production, consumption, and storage of power.
Excess electricity produced during the day could be stored and drawn on when it is needed. And controlling the consumption of certain devices to ensure that supply and demand balance out evenly can prevent blackouts.
Today, especially in the Middle East and some parts of Africa, the refugee situation is dire and is likely to get worse. But there is hope that advances in technology will help improve the well-being of those trapped in this unfortunate situation and provide the power to shine a light in every shelter in every camp.
Hamed Ziade is a master’s student in energy management and sustainability at the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Results
Women finals: 48kg - Urantsetseg Munkhbat (MGL) bt Distria Krasniqi (KOS); 52kg - Odette Guiffrida (ITA) bt Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS); 57kg - Nora Gjakova (KOS) bt Anastasiia Konkina (Rus)
Men’s finals: 60kg - Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) bt Francisco Garrigos (ESP); 66kg - Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo) bt Yerlan Serikzhanov (KAZ)
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Company%20Profile
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
THE%20SWIMMERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESally%20El-Hosaini%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENathalie%20Issa%2C%20Manal%20Issa%2C%20Ahmed%20Malek%20and%20Ali%20Suliman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
No_One Ever Really Dies
N*E*R*D
(I Am Other/Columbia)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Forced%20Deportations
%3Cp%3EWhile%20the%20Lebanese%20government%20has%20deported%20a%20number%20of%20refugees%20back%20to%20Syria%20since%202011%2C%20the%20latest%20round%20is%20the%20first%20en-mass%20campaign%20of%20its%20kind%2C%20say%20the%20Access%20Center%20for%20Human%20Rights%2C%20a%20non-governmental%20organization%20which%20monitors%20the%20conditions%20of%20Syrian%20refugees%20in%20Lebanon.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9CIn%20the%20past%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20General%20Security%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20forced%20deportation%20operations%20of%20refugees%2C%20after%20forcing%20them%20to%20sign%20papers%20stating%20that%20they%20wished%20to%20return%20to%20Syria%20of%20their%20own%20free%20will.%20Now%2C%20the%20Lebanese%20army%2C%20specifically%20military%20intelligence%2C%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20security%20operation%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Mohammad%20Hasan%2C%20head%20of%20ACHR.%3Cbr%3EIn%20just%20the%20first%20four%20months%20of%202023%20the%20number%20of%20forced%20deportations%20is%20nearly%20double%20that%20of%20the%20entirety%20of%202022.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESince%20the%20beginning%20of%202023%2C%20ACHR%20has%20reported%20407%20forced%20deportations%20%E2%80%93%20200%20of%20which%20occurred%20in%20April%20alone.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20comparison%2C%20just%20154%20people%20were%20forcfully%20deported%20in%202022.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Violence%20
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What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State