Depart-ment of Social Welfare and Develop-ment, conducted a thorough survey and census of affected families.
It used this to determine eligibility for assistance and shelter support.
Families prevented from resettling in high risk areas were placed in tented camps and selected for re-location to the nearest site where permanent shelter was being built.
New relocation sites were planned in locations with lower cyclone risk.
Photo: Mikel Flamm
The organisation rapidly completed 70 per cent of a planned 6,000 houses within 11 months of the storm on safer permanent relocation sites.
Photo: Mikel Flamm
Natural Disaster A.27
Implementation
The organisation used 22 small construction groups as external contractors. These worked in com-bination with its own staff, volun-teers and implementing partneror-ganisations.
Family participation in project activities was limited to unskilled tasks and attendance to skills de-velopment training (carpentry, welding, and concrete block-mak-ing).
Coordination
From the beginning of the response, it became clear that there would be a division of labour between humanitarian organisa-tions responding to the disaster.
While some organisations invested efforts in tents and transi-tional shelter in camp settings, this organisation was keen to embark on a permanent shelter construc-tion programme to allow for the next stage in the recovery. Coordi-nation was key in helping to clearly define these roles, and to provide a pathway to permanent shelter for affected families.
DRR components
The different relocation sites were located in low-risk areas, with reduced natural threats. These relo-cation sites were safer than families’
original plots by the river.
The permanent core houses were structurally designed by engineers, incorporating strapping and rein-forcements and were approved by the relevant authorities. The sites were provided with drainage infra-structure and roads, and walkways were built to manage erosion.
Before families moved into their new homes, as part of the induction to the new settlements, they received an initial training induction on disaster preparedness.
This was coordinated with the local emergency management agency.
Technical solutions
The core house was built from concrete blocks, with a reinforced masonry design. There were steel reinforcement bars, both verti-cally and horizontally. The roof structure was made of metal trusses and purlins, with a cover of zinc/
aluminium sheeting. Doors and windows used metal frames, and the floor was covered with ceramic tiles.
Each shelter unit had a multiple purpose room, an attached sanitary unit (toilet and bath area) and a small kitchen area. The height of the buildings allowed a mezzanine level to be built by occupants to create a raised sleeping area. This could potentially increase the living space from 21m2 to 36m2.
Logistics
On account of its scale, the project presented many logistical hurdles related to the supply of construction materials.
The organisation purchased cement, reinforcement bar and other materials in bulk to minimize the price rises following the disaster.
These materials were then distribut-ed to contractors as requirdistribut-ed by the progress of construction.
The project benefitted from skilled and experienced manage-rial staff coming from the organi-sation’s central office in Manila, as well as newly hired staff.
Construction was implemented using contractors, vol-unteers and by working with partner organisations.
Photo: Mikel Flamm Non-food items and housing repair kits were
distributed to 5,000 households.
Photo: Leonilo Escalada
“At the beginning, we were doubtful we could be in a permanent house so soon after Washi. We are happy that we could move out of the tent into a permanent house.”
A new housholder at the Calaanan site, Cagayan de Oro City
Shelter Projects 2011–2012
Conflict / Complex A.28
– Construction phase
– Mapping of Zona K – Dedicated
Tri-Cluster Coordinator arrives
– Selection of 16 projects to be implemented by 14 agencies
– Strategy formed and dedicated coordina-tor agreed
– First funds allocated – Non-food items and
shelter kits distribu-tion
– Famine declared
– Displaced people start to arrive
Update:
A.28 Somalia – 2011 – Famine / Conflict
Country:
Somalia
Project location:
Mogadishu
Conflict / disaster:
July 2011 Famine and Continuing conflict
Number of people displaced:
200,000 IDPs in Mogadishu Project target population:
Approximately 36,000 Project outputs:
3,645 housing units complete WASH and health facilities Occupancy rate on handover:
100 per cent - November 2012 Shelter size:
15.8m2 (3.6m x 4.4m)
Materials cost per household:
US$ 420
14 months –
12 months – 11 months –
10 months –
8 months –
7 months –
July 2011 –
Early 2011 – Project timeline
Project description
The Tri-Cluster project is a coordinated group of 16 projects implemented by 14 partners across the sectors of shelter, WASH and health. Zona K in Magadishu was chosen as the target area as it had the densest concentration of IDPs and was the least likely IDP settlement to be evicted once Mogadishu stabilised and developed. The project goal was to improve the protection for displaced people living in Zona K through improved settlement planning and the provision of integrated services from multiple sectors.
Strengths and weaknesses
9 Regular coordination meetings achieved a common understanding of aims and objectives amongst all partners.
9 By integrating services the project was able to act more efficiently to provide shelter, access to water and sanitation and basic health serives.
9 Settlement planning has enabled organisations to have better access and the beneficiaries have an enhanced sense of community. Displaced people were involved in the development of context-specific planning standards which helped manage expectations.
8 Underestimation of the impact of other projects funded through other sources active in the same project area.
8 Although eviction is unlikely in the short-term, there is no clear ownership of land and so displaced people are vulnerable to the Somali ‘gatekeepers’.
8 A weak community structure combined with the
fact that many people were already settled within the settlement meant that it was not always possible to follow site plans and meet minimum standards.
8 Communal spaces have been eroded by an increase in the numbers of people living in Zona K.
- As the sectors work at different levels (shelter with households, WASH with groups of five families per latrine and health with the whole community) synchronising activities required complex work plans.
- Mapping all the stakeholders in the process was difficult, and their influence changed over time.
- The project had a high profile, putting implementing partners under pressure to produce results quickly, compromising planning and construction quality.
- The Tri-Cluster coordinator took on many of the camp management and camp coordindation duties.
Somalia
Mogadishu
Keywords: Urban neighbourhoods, Household NFIs, Construction materials, Transitional shelter, Site planning, Infrastructure, Coordination.
Conflict / Complex A.28