WHERE ARE THEY HEADED NEXT? MODELING EMERGENT DISPLACED CAMPS IN THE DRC USING AGENT-BASED MODELS

The paper describes a prototype agent-based model used to predict the spontaneous settlements that can arise among internally displaced forced migrants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The internally displaced persons-in the real-world and the model-are constrained by geographic and social forces that dictate their ability to locate and reach organized camps run by humanitarian organizations or instead group with others to establish small temporary settlements. This research is of interest to humanitarian response stakeholders who try to locate self-settlements in order to administer humanitarian assistance and prevent further loss of human life.