Coronavirus Response
SHELTER IS CRITICAL TO REDUCING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19
Image credit: Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AFTER DISASTER
Coronavirus reminds us of the fundamental importance of home to our health and well being.
All of our lives are being affected by Coronavirus in some way, but those living in refugee camps or in makeshift settlements are particularly vulnerable.
Shelter is a critical need for people who are simply struggling to survive after losing their home to disaster or conflict.
Travel restrictions will make our work more challenging, however, we are committed to providing these vulnerable families with a place to call home through this outbreak.
Our work monitoring disasters around the world is unaffected. We continue to work with our local partners in Syria and Somaliland and are planning projects with communities in Cameroon and Ethiopia.
HOW IS SHELTERBOX ADAPTING AND SCALING IT’S RESPONSE TO THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC?
ENABLING SOCIAL DISTANCING
- Our family tents and shelter items allow families in crowded camps to self-isolate and social distance.
- Private shelter enables families to move out of crowded collective centers and limit their exposure to the virus.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO GOOD HYGIENE
- We’ve customized our aid packages to include soap and hand-washing basins.
- In some responses, we have a healthcare representative present to raise public awareness on good hygiene practices.
MODIFYING DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES
- We are distributing to smaller groups and encouraging social distancing.
- Our partners are using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves and masks.
- For safety, we are conducting post deployment monitoring via phone.
MITIGATING THE SPREAD
- Personal cooking equipment and sleeping mats reduce physical interaction and sharing between families.
- Water purification tools provide access to clean water that might not otherwise be available.
Displaced FAMILIES ARE AT GREATER RISK
In the poorest countries of the world – many also shouldering the burden of disaster or conflict – there are fewer medical facilities, and countless families without proper homes to isolate in, living in incredibly crowded conditions. Coronavirus can and will spread like wildfire.
- Losing your home after a disaster or in a conflict compromises people’s ability to stay safe and healthy.
- 84% of people who have lost their homes to disaster or conflict live in the least developed countries in the world, where supplies and medical support are already limited.
- Those living in refugee camps or in makeshift settlements are particularly vulnerable.
- Limited to no access to clean water makes simple precautions like washing your hands a challenge.
- Overcrowded camp environments make practicing social distancing extremely difficult.
- Greater exposure to infection due to limited access to medical care.
- Already fragile hospitals and healthcare systems will be severely impacted and overwhelmed with the spread of the Coronavirus.
- Recovery can be a long and difficult process when there is not enough food, nowhere to cook, and nothing to cook it in.
Learn more about how shelter is critical to reducing the spread of COVID-19.
STAY CONNECTED THROUGH CORONAVIRUS
Cooking Through Corona
Share Recipes and Bring Comfort
ShelterBox at Home
Download Family Fun Activities and Resources
ShelterBox Book Club
Discover themes, cultures and stories inspired by people and places around the world
ShelterMaker Challenge
Build the perfect fort then share it with us on social media!
Get a Customized update from the Team
Chat with one of our members of staff about our work.
WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS
We are partners with The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This allows us to support each other with access in response situations and means we can share training and coordinate our work supporting families after disasters.
We are partners with Habitat for Humanity who also allows us to reach more communities who need support, and this year we helped families in Malawi and Paraguay together as part of this global agreement.
There are also organizations that we partner with on individual responses. These organizations are critical for making sure we can reach people who need support and provide emergency shelter, often in extremely risky situations.
In Cameroon we partner with IEDA Relief, in Ethiopia the International Organization for Migration, in Nigeria ACTED, in Somaliland ActionAid, and in Syria we partner with ReliefAid and Bahar Organization.