ShelterBox in Action - 2022

ShelterBox, in partnership with local agencies and partners together with help from local Rotarians, continue to provide emergency shelter and other essential items to the families who need it most across the world and monitor potential areas for their response.

 2022 was a year of extreme weather events in the Philippines and Pakistan and combined with the rapidly escalating crisis in Ukraine created an unprecedented need for emergency shelter support across the world. ShelterBox was well placed to respond to those needs as well in other countries, in part because they had large quantities of aid pre-positioned in their Cebu warehouse but with the unique, established connections with Rotary, they were able to provide support quickly. Over 400,000 people were supported which, assuming families of 5, represents 80,000 families.

Pakistan

From mid-June Pakistan was overwhelmed by severe monsoon rains and flooding affecting areas in both the north and south of the country. It is estimated that around 33 million people were affected by the flooding (15% of the total population of Pakistan); more than 1,200 people have lost their lives and almost 1 million people displaced. Although floodwaters receded from peak levels, as many as 13 million people faced flood related risks particularly disease transmission due from the standing water, food insecurity and an immediate need for shelter and non-food items during the winter months. ShelterBox responded by providing an emergency shelter package including ShelterBox relief tents, tarpaulins and rope, water filters, water carriers, blankets, mattresses, mosquito nets and solar lights. Distributions are now complete and as of 3 Jan 2023, 6,191 households were assisted. Planning is underway to provide families with an improved, more durable and longer-lasting shelter to offer better protection in case of future flooding hopefully starting in February 2023.

Ukraine
By the end of 2022, close to 8 million Ukrainians were recorded as living as refugees in countries across Europe and almost 6 million have been displaced within Ukraine. Around half the population have been affected by the war in some way and an estimated 17.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, an increase of 2 million since April. Liaising with local Rotary members and other project partners ShelterBox distributed 12,000 mattresses to people living in ‘collective centres’ throughout western and central Ukraine. Focusing on supporting people within Ukraine living in buildings damaged by the conflict, they supported 6,443 families with shelter tool kits and tarpaulins along with fixings as required, as well as blankets, mattresses, water carriers, buckets, solar lights, and hygiene kits. They also supported refugees arriving at the border in Moldova with a portable assistance package, including hygiene items and cash which allowed displaced people to meet their immediate needs and make their own choices about what they needed to support their journey to recovery. With the shifting conditions and continued attacks on infrastructure ShelterBox prioritised the distribution to around 6,000 households of winter clothing and stoves taking a street-level centralised approach to make it easier for recipients to reach distributions sites as well as providing aid items (rather than specific shelter repair materials) that will improve living conditions through the coldest winter months such as blankets, sleeping bags, winter clothing, stoves, light and water carriers.

Philippines
The Philippines is one of the worst disaster-affected countries in the world, and since 2004, ShelterBox, assisted by Rotary, has responded more than 30 times. A severe tropical storm brought heavy rains and strong winds to the Philippines in late October and affected almost 6m people across the country from flooding, flash-floods and landslides. 63,198 houses were damaged with huge destruction of livelihoods, infrastructure, and access to basic amenities including water and electricity. Just two weeks after the typhoon had made landfall, with the support of the Rotary Club of Cebu, ShelterBox begin distributions of emergency shelter items using prepositioned aid from their warehouse in Cebu. Across the two provinces of Bohol and Cebu ShelterBox provided support to over 100,000 people, more than 20,000 families, with a variety of aid packages which included solar lights, tarpaulins, rope and shelter kits.

Mozambique

The conflict in northern Mozambique is driving one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement crises; since October 2017, an Islamic extremist group has been launching violent attacks on civilians in the northern province of Cabo Delgado which has caused a lot of displacement and insecurity in the area. The violence increased in 2021, causing people to flee to other districts and neighbouring provinces. The conflict situation is still volatile. ShelterBox have helped 4,000 families and assisted a further 1,691 with shelter kits, thermal blankets, solar lights, kitchen sets, sleeping mats, and mosquito nets. They are currently supporting the urgent needs of 6,000 vulnerable displaced households in Cabo Delgado. 3,000 households who have been living in resettlement sites for over six months will receive replenishment of shelter and household items; and 3,000 households in hard-to-reach areas will receive shelter survival kits to improve people’s ability to survive in areas where they are cut off from access to basic items.

Syria
In Syria the need for humanitarian support is greater than ever. The Syrian crisis which dates back to March 2011 has been ShelterBox’s largest and most sustained response in their history. An estimated 12.3 million people have been displaced by the conflict. News of the conflict rarely makes headlines, but it rages on and as the fighting continues the millions of displaced Syrians face brutal winters, floods that wash away shelters, financial issues and the additional threat of coronavirus. ShelterBox have provided families in Idlib with tarpaulins and rope to reinforce their tents. Mattresses, carpets, thermal blankets, kitchen sets and soap and clothing sets have helped families to feel safe, stay warm and prepare meals. Syria faces extreme heat in the summer and freezing temperatures in the winter and ShelterBox supported families during the tough winter months providing tarpaulins and rope, clothing and boots, essential household items, soap and washbasins and re-usable face masks. Syria faces extreme heat in the summer and freezing temperatures in the winter and ShelterBox continue to support families during the tough winter months providing tarpaulins and rope, clothing and boots, essential household items, soap and washbasins and re-usable face masks.

Yemen

As a result of the bitter civil war, starvation, and a failing economy it is currently the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Since 2020, violence has flared at an alarming rate in the Marib region in Yemen. From September to November 2021 alone, 55,000 people were displaced with many families crowded into single shelters. ShelterBox have provided tents or ShelterKits, water filters, blankets, sleeping mats, solar lights, mosquito nets, water carriers and kitchen sets as well as a washbasin, soap and masks. The highest unmet shelter needs are in Marib where unfortunately conflict has resumed and where shelter needs remain significant with heavy rains and flooding throughout July and August resulting in destruction of property and livelihoods. ShelterBox are planning to use a more durable, locally made emergency shelter known as an ‘iron net’ (basically an iron grid), fireproof thermal insulation, iron panels and plastic sheeting, with a concrete floor to protect against damage from flooding. Wooden doors and windows provide more ventilation and privacy, and they also have lighting and sockets. Iron nets are more durable than other emergency shelters, and have a lifespan of at least two years. They are aiming to support around 1,415 IDP households in total, with 915 households receiving the iron net and priority household items(mattresses, blankets, floor mats and fire extinguishers and emergency prepositioning of a less comprehensive shelter package (tarpaulins and rope) as a rapid response to 500 households impacted by displacement over the next 13 months

Lake Chad Basin
Since 2009, Boko Haram has been waging an insurgency in Northern Nigeria with the violence spreading to the neighbouring regions of Niger, Chad and Cameroon which, together with severe weather conditions and the impact of coronavirus in the Lake Chad Basin, have resulted in a dire humanitarian crisis in the area. As of June 2022, violence in the far north has uprooted 641,000 people including over 378,000 internally displaced people, 131,000 people who were displaced but who have returned and 132,540 Nigerian refugees. Minawao Camp - one of the largest in the country - was initially opened in 2013 to host 35,000 refugees fleeing insecurity in Nigeria. However, that number has now more than doubled. ShelterBox have been working with their partners in the Far North region since 2015. They are currently aiming to support 9,800 households in the Far North with a range of emergency, transitional and durable shelters. Building on the learning of previous projects they are using their local partner’s ability to carry out local procurement, delivering a larger range and more specific set of aid packages to affected people in Cameroon. Distributions of community tool kits and durable shelter kits began in December, and the first shipment of international aid has now arrived in Maroua.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia remains a complex humanitarian emergency characterised by the ongoing conflict, insecurity, and the effects of climate change which have all contributed towards mass displacement and humanitarian need. The conflict in North Ethiopia intensified in 2021 and expanded from Tigray to the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar. At least 2.6 million people have been displaced with an additional 1 million since the conflict restarted in August. Recent estimates suggest that over 600,000 people have died since the conflict began, with half of these deaths attributable to starvation or lack of healthcare. A ceasefire agreement signed in November is now open allowing vital aid to be distributed. More than 24 million people within Ethiopia have been affected by drought which began in October 2020 with consecutive failed rainy seasons across the Horn of Africa. ShelterBox aim to support 12,000 of the most vulnerable displaced families with aid through to February 2023 as well as 4,000 households with emergency shelter as the need arises.

Somalia
Decades of conflict, disease outbreak, widespread poverty and the effects of climate change have devastated the people of Somalia, leaving around 7.7m people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022. Currently drought across the Horn of Africa region is the leading driver of displacement within Somalia. The last four consecutive rainy seasons have brought lower than average rainfall and over 1m people have been displaced by the drought and a further 500,000 displaced by ongoing conflict. ShelterBox are aiming to start in February 2023 support for 500 households displaced by drought with tarpaulins and locally procured household items and emergency shelter items.

Burkina Faso
One of the fastest-growing displacement crises in Africa with almost 1 million people  forced to flee their homes due to extremist violence. Some of the families forced to flee are able to stay with relatives or friends, but many more are in crowded camps or buildings such as schools. The insecurity and instability make it difficult for aid workers to reach some of the people in need, and coronavirus is making the situation even worse. ShelterBox have supported over 4,000 families since 2020, providing tarpaulins, kitchen sets, sleeping mats, blankets, soap and buckets and are currently working on developing another project to support more families. Recently they have been providing aid items and emergency shelters known as Sahelian tents which are constructed from locally sourced materials and offer a more durable structure for displaced families who have fled their homes escaping from extremist violence.