ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Displaced persons camps in post-World War II Europe

Okay, so imagine that you and your family lost your home because of a big, scary war that happened a long time ago. You didn't do anything wrong, but you can't go back to your old house because it's been destroyed. You have nowhere else to go and nobody to take care of you.

This is what happened to a lot of people in Europe after World War II. They were called "displaced persons" because they were forced to leave their homes and live in a new place. The new place was usually a camp, kind of like a big group of tents or buildings where many people lived together.

These camps were set up by different groups, like the United Nations, the Red Cross, or the governments of different countries. The purpose of the camps was to give shelter, food, and basic necessities to people who had lost everything.

The camps were often crowded and not very comfortable, but they were better than nothing. People who lived in the camps could sometimes find work or education there. Some people even met their future spouses in the camps!

Eventually, many of the displaced persons were able to leave the camps and start new lives in different countries. But for a while, the camps were a safe haven for people who had lost everything.