Child Survival and Fertility of Refugees in Rwanda

Abstract

In the 1960s and 1990s, internal strife in Rwanda has caused a mass flow of refugees into neighbouring countries. This article explores the cumulated fertility of Rwandan refugee women and the survival of their children. To this end, we use a national survey conducted between 1999 and 2001 and covering 6,420 former refugee and non-refugee households. The findings support old-age security theories of reproductive behaviour: refugee women had higher fertility but their children had lower survival chances. Newborn girls suffered more than boys, suggesting that the usual sex differential in child survival observed in most populations changes under extreme living conditions. Philip Verwimp et Jan van Bavel, 2005, Survie des enfants et fe´condite´chez les re´fugie´s du Rwanda. Revue Europe´enne de De´mographie, 21: 271-290.Re´sume´. Dans les anne´es 1960 et 1990, les conflits internes au Rwanda ont provoque´un afflux de re´fugie´s dans les pays voisins. Cet article e´tudie la fe´condite´cumule´e des re´fugie´es ruandaises et la survie de leurs enfants. Il repose sur l'analyse de donne´es issues d'une enqueˆte nationale mene´e entre 1999 et 2001 et portant sur 6 420 me´nages d'anciens re´fugie´s ou de nonre´fugie´s. Les re´sultats confirment les the´ories qui mettent en relation comportement reproductif et se´curite´pour les vieux jours: les re´fugie´es ont eu une fe´condite´plus e´leve´e mais leurs enfants une survie plus faible. Les nouveau-ne´s filles ont davantage souffert que les garc¸ons, sugge´rant que les diffe´rences habituelles de mortalite´selon le sexe, observe´es chez les tre`s jeunes enfants dans la plupart des populations, peuvent eˆtre modifie´es dans des conditions de vie extreˆmes.

Effect of Conflict on Age at Marriage and Age at First Birth in Rwanda

“…Bundervoet and Verwimp (2005) find that civil war and economic sanctions affected the anthropometric outcomes of children living in rural Burundi. In the context of Rwanda, Verwimp and Bavel (2005) find that refugee women had higher fertility but their children also had lower chances of survival. Akresh et al (2007) find that girls born in regions of Rwanda affected by crop failure and strife have lower height-for-age z-scores.…”

The Impact of Armed Civil Conflict on Household Welfare and Policy

“…WHO 2002). For instance, Verwimp and van Bavel (2004) show that although refugee women tend to have higher fertility rates than other population groups, their children (girls in particular) have a much lower probability of survival due to the health and socio-economic conditions experienced in refugee camps. These effects are often aggravated by a variety of factors, even after the end of the initial conflict.…”

Maternal Health Care Seeking Behavior in a Post-Conflict HIPC: The Case of Rwanda

“…The refugee problem contributed to a worsening of health outcomes. Verwimp and Bavel (2005) find that refugee women in Rwanda had higher fertility and their children had lower chances of survival. Another study found that girls born in regions of Rwanda affected by crop failure and strife have lower height-for-age z-scores (Akresh et al 2007).…”