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1 Shelter and settlement
Shelter assistance is provided to individual households for the repair or construction of dwellings or the settlement of displaced households within existing accommodation or communities. When such dispersed settlement is not possible, shelter is provided collectively in suitable large public buildings or structures, e.g. warehouses, halls, barracks, etc. or in temporary planned or self-settled camps.
Individual household shelter solutions can be short- or long-term, subject to the level of assistance provided, land use rights or ownership, the availability of essential services and social infrastructure, and the opportunities for upgrading and expanding the dwellings.
Shelter and settlement standard 1: strategic planning
Existing shelter and settlement solutions are prioritised through the return or hosting of disaster-affected households, and the security, health, safety and well-being of the affected population are ensured. |
Key indicators (to be read in conjunction with the guidance notes)
Affected households return to the site of their original dwellings where possible (see guidance note 1).
Affected households who cannot return to the site of their original dwellings settle independently within a host community or with host families where possible (see guidance note 2).
Affected households who cannot return to the site of their original dwellings or who cannot settle independently within a host community or with host families are accommodated in mass shelters or in temporary planned or self-settled camps (see guidance note 3).
Actual or potential threats to the security of the affected population are assessed, and the dwellings or settlements are located at a safe distance from any such external threats (see guidance note 4).
Risks from natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, flooding or high winds are minimised, and the area is not prone to diseases or significant vector risks (see guidance notes 4-5).
Locations are free of potentially hazardous equipment or material, and existing hazards such as dangerous structures, debris or unstable ground are identified and made safe, or access is restricted and guarded (see guidance notes 4, 6 and 7).
Land and property ownership and/or use rights for buildings or locations are established prior to occupation and permitted use is agreed as necessary (see guidance note 8).
Water and sanitation services, and social facilities including health care, schools and places of worship, are available or can be satisfactorily provided (see guidance note 9).
The transportation infrastructure provides access to the settlement for personal movement and the provision of services (see guidance note 10).
Where possible, households can access land, markets or services for the continuation or development of livelihood support activities (see guidance note 11).
Guidance notes
1. Return: the opportunity to return to their own land and dwellings is a major goal for most disaster-affected people. The damaged dwelling and any surrounding land are major household assets for many disaster-affected households. However, return may not always be possible, due to security concerns such as occupation of property or land, continuing violent conflict, ethnic or religious tension, fear of persecution, or landmines and unexploded ordnance. Shelter provision through the repair of damaged dwellings supports communal coping strategies, retains established settlement patterns and enables the use of existing infrastructure.
2. Hosting by families and communities: disaster-affected people often prefer to stay in a host community, with other family members or people who share historical, religious or other ties. In cases where this preference cannot be met, hosting by other groups within the community is also possible, with due consideration being given to potential security risks or social conflict. Shelter assistance may include support to expand or upgrade an existing host family shelter and facilities to better accommodate the displaced household, or the provision of an additional separate shelter adjacent to the host family. The resulting increase in population density and demand on social facilities and infrastructure provision should be appraised and addressed. Shelter provision through the construction of additional or extended dwellings in host communities also supports communal coping strategies.
3. Collective settlement: temporary planned camps should not become a default response. Such shelter solutions may be required in areas where security threats increase the risk to isolated households, or where essential services such as water and food are limited. The provision of mass shelter in large buildings or structures can provide rapid temporary protection from the climate, and may be preferable in cold climates when there are insufficient material resources to provide the required level of thermal comfort within individual dwellings. Although school buildings are often used to accommodate affected families, alternative structures should be sought wherever possible to enable schooling to continue for children from the host and potentially also the displaced community. Care must also be taken to ensure that collective settlements do not themselves become targets for attack or pose a security risk to the surrounding population.
4. Risk and vulnerability assessment: it is critical that a comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment is undertaken, including actual or potential security threats and the particular social or economic vulnerabilities of differing social groupings within the affected and any host community (see Initial assessment standard).
5. Natural hazards: risks posed by the localised impact of natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, flooding or high winds in any given location should also be assessed. Locations close to buildings or structures vulnerable to earthquake aftershocks, land formations vulnerable to landslides, low-lying sites prone to further lava flows or the build-up of exhaust gases, riverbanks and depressions at risk from further flooding and sites exposed to high winds should be avoided, until the assessed risks of returning to such locations have satisfactorily diminished.
6. Hazardous materials and goods: potentially hazardous materials and goods can be deposited or exposed following natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and typhoons; mines and unexploded ordnance can be present due to previous or current conflicts. The presence of such items and the potential risks involved in their removal should be identified by appropriately experienced personnel. The time and expertise required for their safe removal may preclude the use of part or all of any locations affected.
7. Structural assessments: the stability of building structures in inhabited areas should be appraised by appropriately qualified personnel. Assessments should include the effects of further structural weakening from earthquake aftershocks, further flooding and high winds, etc. For mass shelters, the ability of existing building structures to accommodate any additional loading and the increased risk of the failure of building components such as floors, internal dividing walls, roofs, etc. should be assessed.
8. Land and building ownership and usage: such issues are often controversial, especially where records may not have been kept or where conflict may have affected possession. Ownership of the site or building(s) should be established and the holders of formal or customary use rights identified to the extent possible. The land or property rights of vulnerable groups should be identified and supported. This includes formal or understood rights of inheritance, particularly following a disaster in which the holder of the rights or title may have died or been displaced.
9. Availability of services and facilities: existing or repaired services or facilities should be identified and used, where there is sufficient capacity, before the construction of new facilities is considered (see Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion chapter).
10. Access to settlement locations: access to the settlement, the condition of local road infrastructure and proximity to airstrips, railheads or ports for the supply of relief assistance should be assessed, taking into account seasonal constraints, hazards and security risks. For mass shelters and temporary planned or self-settled camps, the site itself and any primary storage and food distribution points should be accessible by heavy trucks from an all-weather road. Other facilities should be accessible by light vehicles.
11. Livelihood support: an understanding of the pre-disaster economic activities of the affected population, and the opportunities within the post-disaster context, should guide the settling of affected populations. This should include land availability and access for cultivation and grazing; the location of and access to market areas; and the availability of and access to local services that may be essential to particular economic activities. The differing social and economic needs and constraints of particular vulnerable groups within the displaced or any host communities should also be assessed and accommodated accordingly (see Food security standards).
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