“Refugee camps across Iraq are about to get a Swedish touch.
Each shelter is fitted with solar panels,mosquito nets, lights, and ventilation, reports news site IRIN. There are also lockable doors, a key feature, as lack of privacy at refugee camps can leave women and children vulnerable tosexual assault. Prototypes were previously tested among 40 refugee families in Iraq and Ethiopia. The structures offer extra space—they’re 57 feet square and six feet tall—allowing family members to stand upright in the space, as opposed to crouching or lying down in tents.” said takepart.com
“The refugees have been involved in the process from the beginning,” Anders Rexare Thulin, managing director of Better Shelter, told IRIN. “We have received regular feedback from families living in the structures, and we made sure we incorporated their comments in our design.”
“There are more than two million refugees and internally displaced persons in Iraq, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In recent years, the agency has also worked with Ikea to provide solar lamps to refugees in Ethiopia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Chad, and Jordan.” said takepart.com
“Putting refugee families and their needs at the heart of this project is a great example of how democratic design can be used for humanitarian value,” Jonathan Spampinato, head of the Ikea Foundation’s strategic planning and communications, said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud that the Better Shelter is now available so refugee families and children can have a safer place to call home.”