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More than mere survival: violence, humanitarian governance, and practical material politics in a Kenyan refugee camp

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  • Léonie S Newhouse

Abstract

This paper frames the political import of refugees' material practices in Kakuma Refugee Camp through critical reflection on Eyal Weizman's notion of the humanitarian present. To begin, I explore how the production of the refugee camp as a space of containment takes place not through a unified humanitarian calculus, but through a set of articulated practices undertaken by various actors—governments, police, aid agencies, host populations, and refugees—all of which have profoundly material manifestations. Secondly, I argue that refugees' pursuits of material well-being through semilicit and illicit means should be read as a practical material critique of the declining standards of humanitarian support. These efforts to achieve sustenance, invest in the future, and exert autonomy serve as a public reminder that humanitarian assistance fails to meet the minimum standard to ensure human existence, and that refugees aim for something more than mere survival.

Suggested Citation

  • Léonie S Newhouse, 2015. "More than mere survival: violence, humanitarian governance, and practical material politics in a Kenyan refugee camp," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(11), pages 2292-2307, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:47:y:2015:i:11:p:2292-2307
    DOI: 10.1068/a140106p
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    Cited by:

    1. Micah M. Trapp, 2018. "“Never had the hand†: Distribution and inequality in the diverse economy of a refugee camp," Economic Anthropology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(1), pages 96-109, January.

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