emergency relief items compendium of generic specifications

2. SHELTER, HOUSING AND COOKING APPLIANCES
General
This chapter covers following areas:
• Shelter and housing
• Bedding
• Kitchen accessories
• Heating / cooking equipment
Shelter and housing
Shelter must as a minimum provide; protection from the elements, space to live, rest and store belongings, privacy and
emotional security. Shelter is likely to be one of the most important determinants of general living conditions and is often
one of the largest items of non-recurring expenditure.
While the basic need for shelter is similar in most emergencies, issues such as the kind of housing needed, what materials
and design are used, who constructs the housing and how long it must last, will differ significantly in each situation.
In cold climates or those areas subject to daily extremes in temperature, lack of adequate shelter can have a particularly
adverse affect on health. Thus, in addition to shelter, provision of sufficient blankets, sleeping mats, beds, appropriate
clothing and even heaters will in some cases be a high priority.
To meet these varying situations, the following items are covered in the catalogue:
* Tarpaulins
* Shelter kit, family size
* Tents, shelter
The best way to meet emergency shelter needs is to provide the same materials or shelter that would commonly be used
by the refugees or the local population. The simplest principles and structures, and labour intensive building methods, are
to be preferred. The design of shelter and more permanent housing should, if possible, provide for modification by the
occupants to suit their individual needs.
The key to providing an adequate shelter is the provision of a solid and robust roof. If a complete shelter cannot be
provided, provision of adequate roofing will be the priority. Plastic tarpaulins (woven and non-woven types) are in most
cases the best materials available. These materials are also very useful in protecting minor stockpiles, latrines etc.
Tents are often not an effective means of providing shelter as they are difficult to live in and provide little insulation against
extremes in temperature. There are however, circumstances in which tents may be useful and appropriate, for example
when local materials are not available, for use as storage or for various other purposes. In areas where the ground can be
used as a floor in tents, the Shelter kit can be used as an inexpensive and efficient solution. The life of an erected tent is
dependent on climate but may be as long as two years. In areas where the weather is very cold or rainy, a tent should be
selected. Where tents are appropriate, repair material should be provided to the occupants.
Utility tents are needed to establish storage facilities, hospitals, schools and other field services. The success of the camp
highly depends on these facilities. In order to select a hospital tent, it is important firstly, to establish a requirement for
quantities of beds and to determine the types of diseases which have stricken the area. In colder areas, it may be necessary
to use a prefabricated house as a hospital to provide the minimum protection against weather.
If the operation is long term and some of the refugees are children, a school tent should be erected. This increases the
enthusiasm among the refugees and assists in making the camp a success.
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