Refugee Housing Unit
A safe and durable housing solution for people forced to flee
For families who must stay in refugee camps for years, there is an urgent need to provide them with safe and durable shelter. A shelter that will last; that protects families from the elements and ill health; and that offers a dignified and safe way of living for those forced from home.
The Refugee Housing Unit (RHU) is a self-standing, sustainable and durable shelter, designed through a collaboration between UNHCR, the social enterprise Better Shelter and the IKEA Foundation. The RHUs have panels to make up bedrooms, a kitchen area, a lockable door and a LED lamp which provides more than six hours of light.
These features may sound simple but for people like Zara, who fled her village in Nigeria, they represent a huge leap in privacy, comfort and security.
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"Armed men attacked us, they killed my husband and burned our village, so I fled with my children. I was happy to receive the shelter and to feel we are safe, me and my children. The space is enough for us. We have lighting even at night and now my children can properly study." © UNHCR/Ibrahim Abdou -
"Armed men attacked us, they killed my husband and burned our village, so I fled with my children. I was happy to receive the shelter and to feel we are safe, me and my children. The space is enough for us. We have lighting even at night and now my children can properly study." © UNHCR/Ibrahim Abdou -
"Armed men attacked us, they killed my husband and burned our village, so I fled with my children. I was happy to receive the shelter and to feel we are safe, me and my children. The space is enough for us. We have lighting even at night and now my children can properly study." © UNHCR/Ibrahim Abdou
Learn more about the design
Features
SAFE AND DIGNIFIED HOUSING
- A steel metal frame covered with opaque plastic and semi-hard roof and walls provides refugees with a higher level of dignity and privacy
- A lockable door from the inside and the outside, lets refugees –women and children especially – feel safer.
- 17.5 m2 floor space and high ceiling create a spacious interior that allows users to stand upright, and provides enough space for equipment and personal belongings.
- An interior dividing wall creates two rooms, helping to separate living and sleeping quarters.
DURABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE
- Durable: units can host up to 5 people and have a 3-year lifespan.
- Flat packed design optimized for low cost logistics and storage.
- Easy to Assemble: Assembly requires 4 people and takes 4 hours. All tools are included.
- Flexible: Units can be built together to create larger structures, and used for receptions, clinics, class rooms. It can also be dismantled, moved, reassembled and adapted to different needs and purposes, facilitating reuse.
SUSTAINABLE
- A solar powered LED lamp provides more than 6 hours of light and features plugs for charging of electronic
- Units may be transformed into a durable shelter with the use of local materials.
- Mosquito nets covering all openings as well as windows and air vents, help improve airflow and manage extreme temperatures.
How you can help
The best way you can help is to make a donation. Your financial contribution can provide dignified housing to families who have left everything behind.