Emergency Shelter Standard

Provision of core relief items

This is inherently linked to the adequacy of settlement and shelter

Persons of concern should be empowered to build their own shelters to?

promote a sense of ownership and self-reliance

Shelter

A habitable covered living space providing a secure and healthy living environment with privacy and dignity

UNHCR stands for?

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR

The UN Refugee Agency, a global organization dedicated to saving lives and protecting the rights of refugees

Who have the right to adequate shelter in order to benefit from protection from the elements, space to live and store belongings as well as privacy, comfort and emotional security?

Persons of concern to UNHCR

Individual family shelter

It should always be preferred to communal accommodation as it provides the necessary privacy, psychological comfort, and emotional safety

Why is individual family shelter important?

It also provides safety and security for people and possessions and helps to preserve or rebuild family unity

Emergency shelter needs

Best met by using the same locally available, sustainably sourced materials and construction methods as would be normally used by the refugees themselves or the local hosting population

What should be done if adequate quantities cannot be quickly obtained locally

Emergency shelter material be brought into the country

Materials should be what?

Environmentally friendly and obtained in a sustainable manner

Plastic Sheeting

Most important shelter component in many humanitarian response operations often with in combination with rigid materials. UV-resistant; heavy duty; lightweight, flexible; large production capacities

They offer flexibility and can be used in a variety of ways in both urban and rural settings

Why is plastic sheeting the most important shelter component?

Provide protection from the elements, space to live and store belongings, privacy and emotional security

Shelter must:

Blankets, mats, and tarpaulin must be provided as needed

One of the principles any type of emergency shelter:

Refugee shelter

Should be culturally and socially appropriate and familiar where possible

Seasonal weather patterns, if not it should be adapted accordingly

Shelter must be adequate regardless of…

Persons of concern should be empowered to build their own shelter

This will help to ensure that the shelter will meet their particular needs, promote a sense of ownership and self-reliance, and reduces costs and construction time considerably

Family tents

Traditional relief tent;lightweight; proven design; good headroom; can be winterised; large production capacities.

Inflexible; may be unstable in high winds or heavy snow, difficult to heat. Where tents are used for long durations, provisions for repair materials should be considered.

Cons of family tents

Collecting wood for shelters' support frames or stick skeletons can considerably harm the environment if collected from surrounding forests. It is therefore important to always consider sustainable sources of framing material which is sufficient to support plastic.

Cons of Plastic Sheeting

Materials and tools for construction (shelter kits)

Suitable local materials are best, if available, and must be suitable for variance in the seasons, culturally and socially appropriate and familiar.

Required time and training

Cons of materials and tools for construction (shelter kits)

Prefabricated shelter and containers

Permanent or semi-permanent structures; long lasting.

High unit cost; long shipping time; long production time; transport challenges; assembly challenges; inflexibility; disregard cultural and social norms.

Cons of prefabricated shelter and containers

Rental subsidies

Greater sense of independence; greater integration in a community; influx of income to host community

Difficult to monitor that shelter meets standards; competitive market may result in exploitation and abuse; inflation and speculation may occur; upgrades or repairs may be needed.

Cons of Rental Subsidies

3.5m²

Minimum _____ covered living space per person in tropical or warm climates, excluding cooking facilities or kitchen (it is assumed that cooking will take place outside).

2m

Minimum height of ___ at the highest point.

4.5 to 5.5m²

Minimum ________ covered living space per person in cold climates, including kitchen facilities as more time will be spent inside the shelter (cooking, eating, and livelihoods). 2m ceilings to reduce the heated space.

2m ceilings

To reduce the heated space.

To live primarily inside.

Cold climates where cold weather with rain and snow prevails over extended periods (3 to 5 months) demand that people…

Heated and enclosed spaces

Persons with specific needs will require

High standard and are complex and expensive to build

Shelters which are sufficient to withstand cold conditions have to be?

Structural stability

Consideration for shelters in cold climates:

to withstand snow- and wind-loads

Wind Protection

Consideration for shelters in cold climates:

for walls, roofs, doors and windows

Protected and heated

Consideration for shelters in cold climates:

kitchens and sanitary facilities

Individual survival

It is extremely important to protect the human body from heat loss. Particularly during sleep, it is important to be able to keep warm by retaining body heat with blankets, sleeping bags, clothing and shoes. Heat can be generated by providing food with high calorific value.

Living Space

It is very important to concentrate on a limited living space and to ensure that cold air can be kept out of this space. This can be done by sealing the room with plastic sheeting and sealing tapes. Windows and doors should be covered with translucent plastic sheeting and stapled on window and door frames. Walls, ceilings and floors of the living space should be designed to insulate from cold air and to retain warm air as efficiently as possible

Heating

Keeping the inside of a shelter at a comfortable temperature (15 to 19° C) depends to a large extent on the outside temperature, the type of construction, the quality of the insulation, the orientation of the building, and on the type and capacity of the stove.

SPHERE standards (2018)

Longer-term standard above remain the minimum internationally recognized quantifiable standards applicable throughout all operational phases

Within and beyond the emergency phase shelter solutions should be adapted and contextualized according to the following elements:

• geographical context

• climate

• cultural practice and habits

• local availability of skills

• access to adequate construction materials