It's been 19 months since life for tens of thousands of tribal Christians changed forever. Fleeing their burning villages, the lucky ones escaped to Lamka and ended up here in one of these refugee camps.
There are about 80 of them. Most are decrepit old buildings that once served a purpose but have long been abandoned. Others are newer, vacated by the locals to make space for their ~43,000 displaced kinfolk who lost their homes in May of '22. On the perimeter of town, overflow camps house refugees in bamboo and tarp structures not unlike tents.
There is a wide disparity of basic amenities available to these people. Few camps have electricity or running water. The ones that do are limited to dispersed pendant lights and outdoor spigots. Some do not have even have windows. But none have AC or heat. This time of year it regularly drops into the 40s at night. In the summer it is sweltering.
Personal spaces are divided by hanging tarps or sheets. Most families share sleeping space that amounts to approximately 10x10ft. There are no beds, just blankets.
Most refugees have little to no possessions. The space above represents quarters for a whole family. Everything they own is in this picture.
Life goes on! Kids play here in the refugee camps just like they do everywhere else.
Cooking at the camps takes place outdoors over fire pits. There are no kitchens. These people are accustomed to sitting in squats for extended periods of time. Still, it is disheartening that they do not have stools, benches, or chairs to sit on.
Thanks to our Brother Lal, who took these photos this week to share these realities with our subscribers.
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