One in five refugees live in camps or camp-like settings, and three-quarters of encamped refugees are in sub-Saharan Africa. No reliable public data has systematically tracked camp locations, operations, or populations over time. To address this, we introduce the African Refugee Camps Dataset (ARCD), a geospatial panel dataset. We describe its creation and use ARCD to analyze major trends over 25 years. We then show two applications combining ARCD with complementary data. First, we assess spatial features of camp locations compared to stratified random sites. Camps align with logistical guidelines—flat terrain, moderate vegetation—but are often near borders, protected areas, and far from provincial capitals. Second, we estimate the effect of camp openings on forest and vegetation cover using a differences-in-differences approach. Camp establishment reduces forest cover by 1–2 percentage points within two years, largely due to land clearing for shelter, infrastructure, and roads.