Summary

Description

The "Syria Refugee Sites" dataset contains verified data about the geographic location (point geometry), name, and operational status of refugee sites hosting Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq. Only refugee sites operated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or the Government of Turkey are included. Compiled by the U.S Department of State, Humanitarian Information Unit (INR/GGI/HIU), each attribute in the dataset (including name, location, and status) is verified against multiple sources. The name and status are obtained from the UNHCR data portal (accessible at http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php). The locations are obtained from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's GEOnet Names Server (GNS) (accessible at http://geonames.nga.mil/ggmagaz/). The name and status for each refugee site is verified with PRM. Locations are verified using high-resolution commercial satellite imagery and/or known areas of population. Additionally, all data is checked against various news sources. Locations are only accurate down to the city level. The designation field gives the type of site and the status of the site. Sites can be "Official Camps", camp settlements that are officially established and maintained by the United Nations or host country. Sites can also be "Transitional Camps", which is a typical camp structure but designed to be temporary or used on as needed basis. There can also be "Transitional Facilities"; these are facilities that are being used to temporarily house refugees. Status of these sites can be Planned, Under Construction, Staged, Open, or Closed.