Over the past years, OCHA was often approached for copies of the old UNDRO publication "Shelter After Disaster - Guidelines for Assistance" (Geneva, 1982), which had been out of print for the last several years. This publication, a key document on the immediate shelter needs of survivors following disasters, was prepared by the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Co-ordinator (UNDRO, now OCHA), together with a group of renowned international experts. It  differs from other manuals by encompassing the entire disaster spectrum, such as disaster preparedness, disaster relief, post-disaster reconstruction and prevention. Some of the findings of this study are relevant to non-natural disasters (for example, refugee situations) and to slow-onset disasters (such as droughts), but its main concern is with rapid-onset disasters (such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones). Lessons from it are still relevant, but, despite their simplicity, many of them remained to be implemented. 

Free on-line copies of the original versions in English and Spanish (“El Alojamiento Despues de los Desastres”) are available. 

In a second phase, this book is being reviewed and updated, in cooperation with a number of interested governments and international experts. In May 2006, the revision process started with the publication of a scoping study, commissioned by UN/OCHA and coordinated by Shelter Centre. The aim of this document is to explore key changes and developments in post-disaster settlement, shelter and housing between 1982 and 2006, in order to inform the actual revision of "Shelter after Disaster" (due to be finalized in 2008).

Click here to download a copy of the Scoping Study - Shelter after Disaster