A Social and Economic History of the Displaced

Population displacement has been a growing social challenge since ancient times. This book explores the validity of the dependency syndrome hypothesis among refugees. The study reveals that Angolan refugees at Meheba Settlement in Zambia attained self-sufficiency in food production and contributed to that country’s food security. A major lesson from this study is that paternalism is unlikely to achieve the desirable advance towards the social and economic integration of refugees in a host community. Apart from exhibiting financial transparency, refugee agencies and asylum government officials must dialogue to avoid duplication of effort, undue distrust and conflict, which could impede humanitarian work. This book is mainly for scholars, governments hosting refugees, UNHCR, other agencies operational in organised refugee settlements and individuals in vocations concerned with alleviating the plight of the displaced.