The following projects are parallels initiatives undertaken by OCHA/LSU and partner agencies to develop guidelines on shelter-related aspects of the humanitarian response to an emergency.
LSU is actively involved in the coordination, revision and publication of:
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"Tents- A guide to the use and logistics of family tents in humanitarian relief"
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While the usage of tents in emergencies is not encouraged, they remain a necessary shelter option often employed as a last resort, and millions of dollars worth of tents continue to be used in humanitarian response each year. Published by OCHA in November 2004, this booklet aims to explain how and when tents can be used as part of shelter assistance, how they can be adapted to suit the needs of people in emergencies and what to pay attention to during the process of procurement. It also contains performance standards for tents as well as related indicators agreed to (for the first time) by some twenty key humanitarian organizations.
Click here to download a copy: Tents booklet
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"Timber - A guide to the planning, use, procurement and logistics of timber as a construction material in humanitarian relief (Scoping study)"
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Hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of timber, costing millions of dollars, are consumed in relief and reconstruction programmes worldwide. So far, however, no consistent practical advice or field guidelines on timber are easily available to humanitarians, as existing information on timber (and bamboo) procurement, logistics and usage is scattered across a disparate collection of sources.
By publishing this Scoping Study, OCHA hopes to achieve a first step towards raising the awareness of field, logistics and procurement of timber in humanitarian relief, in order to promote best practices and increase the efficiency of this aspect of relief activity to the greater advantage of disaster victims.
The “Timber guide” is an attempt to take stock of the problems most commonly experienced around timber during relief operations; consolidate expert knowledge in one place; identify sources for obtaining related information, and explain basic concepts and techniques in an easily understandable way.
In a second phase, comments and reactions to the draft contained in the Scoping Study will be reviewed and consolidated in a final guidelines booklet, to be produced in late 2007, in cooperation with a number of partners, such as IFRC and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
To make the final guidelines as practical as possible, comments and contributions from all those concerned are now needed. We would therefore be grateful to receive insights about your experience in issues relating to timber, and for your dissemination of this document as widely as possible to your partners.
Comments should be emailed to contact@humanitariantimber.org. (c.c. lsu@un.org), preferably by end of June 2007.
Click here to download a copy: Timber Booklet
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LSU strongly supports other publication projects falling under these parallel initiatives on shelter guidelines and implemented by partner agencies:
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"Plastic Sheeting: a guide to the specification and use of plastic sheeting in humanitarian relief" (IFRC / OXFAM)
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This booklet aims to explain how and when plastic sheeting can be used as part of humanitarian response, how it can best be used to suit the needs of people in emergencies and how best to procure and specify it. This booklet does not seek to encourage the use of plastic sheeting, but instead views it as a key part of shelter, sanitation and infrastructure programmes. Millions of dollars worth of varying qualities of plastic sheeting continue to be used in humanitarian response each year. In this context, this booklet aims to encourage consistency in specification and most effective use.
An electronic version is available from http://www.plastic-sheeting.org/
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"Shade Nets: Use, deployment and procurement of shade netting in humanitarian relief environments" (Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium / Shelter Centre)
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In hot climates, shade offers protection from overheating and UV radiation. It can protect people and structures, as well as supporting the effective use of external spaces. The use of fencing in security, privacy, windbreaks and organisation of crowds is invaluable in emergency operations. This booklet provides advice on the range of applications and benefits of using shade net in the transitional settlement and shelter of communities affected by natural disasters and conflicts, whether in camps or self-settled.
An electronic version is available from the Shelter Centre online library: http://www.sheltercentre.org/shelterlibrary/items/pdf/Shade_Nets_Field_Booklet.pdf
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The Düzce-Bolu Earthquake: Tent catalogue
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After the earthquake of Düzce-Bolu (Turkey) on 12 November 1999, a catalogue of all the 34 tent types offered to the relief authorities was drawn up. It consists in photos of outer and inner views of each model as a description of origin, size, accessories, etc (1 page per type of tent). Some aerial views of the camp site are also shown.
Click here to see the various types of tents delivered: Tent catalogue