DOCS092807

A refugee camp, up close and personal

A mock camp has been set up in Loring Park to help Minnesotans understand the plight of many of their immigrant neighbors.

By Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune

Last update: September 27, 2007 - 7:53 PM

Huda Farah, who researches how civil wars leave their mark on children, has long wanted to visit a refugee camp to understand their experiences better.

So on Thursday, she was among several hundred people who toured a mock refugee camp that opened in Loring Park in Minneapolis. As a guide explained the makeshift housing used by refugees -- who build shelters out of everything from plastic bags to corrugated metal -- she took photographs and listened.

"It's not exactly the same as a camp in Kenya, " said Farah, a Somali immigrant who lives in Fridley, as she scanned the collection of white tents and makeshift huts placed among the trees.

"We wouldn't be walking on grass -- it would be dust that kicks up," she said. "But it helps you get a feel for it."

That was precisely the goal of the camp, part of a touring exhibit by Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian relief organization. Minnesota has one of the largest refugee populations, per capita, in the nation. The camp will give Minnesotans an opportunity to learn about the experiences of many of their neighbors, in particular from places such as Africa and Southeast Asia, organizers said.

Tours of the camp were booked solid by school groups and others Thursday and today, said spokesman Emily Linendoll. But visitors can stop by any time for the free exhibit, which is open through Sunday.

Organizers said the plight of refugees around the globe is so foreign to most people that they organized the tour to bring the refugee experience to the hearts of several U.S. cities.

"Tens of millions of people throughout the world today are uprooted from their homes, on the run, fleeing violence, living under the most grueling conditions," said Nicolas Torrente, executive director of Doctors Without Borders-USA. "These vulnerable populations ... shouldn't be forgotten."

Visitors can learn how aid workers provide water to tens of thousands of people each day, treat cholera and other diseases, distribute food and take care of basic needs in camps that can number as many as 250,000 people.

Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511

Jean Hopfensperger • hopfen@startribune.com