Innovative refugee shelters are ‘sturdier than older tents’

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Ikea Foundation have combined to distribute 10,000 flat-pack Better Shelter family tents. Refugee families in in northern Iraq will receive the first 1,500.

A photo taken inside the shelter shows what the tent would look like once assembled and inhabited. Lee Hoagland / The National

DUBAI // Thousands of refugees will soon benefit from new and safer housing units that can accommodate up to six people.

Of the 10,000 flat-pack Better Shelter family tents launched by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Ikea Foundation, 1,500 will reach refugee families in northern Iraq.

“It provides a solution for people in need of a better shelter in forced displacement,” said Olivier Delarue, leader of UNHCR Innovation. “We tested the prototype in northern Iraq and at the border of Ethiopia and Somalia.”

The temporary shelter consists of a lightweight steel frame, roof and wall panels, door and windows, floor covering and a solar energy system, including a lamp and telephone charger.

“The wall and roof are made of the dashboard found in cars,” Mr Delarue said.

Refugees spend an average of 17 years in temporary housing.

“We were looking to provide a home at the cost of a tent,” said Johan Karlsson, head of business development at Better Shelter. “You have a door you can lock, a lamp to turn on when it’s dark inside and something that resists various different climates.”

A follow-up team visits the refugees every third month.

“It is a rigid, self-supporting structure,” said Shaun Scales, chief of shelter and settlement at the UNHCR. “Having a door can be a lot. It utilises the best available technology o ensure that critical access to adequate shelter [is available] for millions of people worldwide.”

This year, 10,000 units will be distributed to the UNHCR.

“Any surplus from production and sales will be reinvested,” said Anders Thulin, managing director of Better Shelter.

“We produced a calibration series with very good results, so we are ready to start delivering within a few months.”