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Red
Cross Red Crescent shelters take shape in Aceh 7 November 2005 Banda Aceh – Efforts to get tens of thousands of tsunami survivors out of tents began to take shape this weekend with the assembly in the Indonesian province of Aceh of a custom-made temporary shelter from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Federation and the United Nations flew the first two steel-framed shelters into Banda Aceh last week ahead of up to 20,000 others coming by ship, and immediately began training local employees how to assemble them. The sturdy, 25-square-metre lightweight units were specially designed by Federation construction engineers for local conditions, ease of delivery and speed of assembly. “The aim is to get everyone out of tents as soon as possible,” said Kevin Duignan, the Federation’s construction project coordinator. “That’s why we needed to design and produce a model that we could transport and put up almost anywhere.” With support from the UN, the Federation will supply the shelters free of charge to Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies and other relief agencies working in Aceh. By helping meet the enduring short-term shelter needs across the affected area, the Federation hopes to encourage agencies to maintain focus on the longer-term construction of permanent housing. Rather than build temporary shelters, most relief agencies decided earlier this year to construct permanent homes as soon as possible, in line with community wishes. But hopes that this could occur quickly were dashed by such constraints as massive land subsidence due to earthquakes, complications over land rights – very little Aceh land was documented before the tsunami – supply problems and absence of clear policy. Meanwhile displaced people’s living conditions deteriorated. The Federation and the UN mobilized a temporary shelter initiative late in the summer as delays became cause for serious concern The Federation will also provide transport and training and monitoring teams. Implementing partners will do the preparatory groundwork and select local workers, paid by the Federation, to erect the structures with the help of future residents. People living in tents will have priority, as well as widows with children and other very vulnerable groups. The shelters – based on a design used by the Federation for floods in Vietnam – are easy to assemble, said Kevin Duignan. “Everything was configured to make it simple. Just like Lego.” The units had to be lightweight because many heavily affected areas will have to be supplied by landing craft. Each unit can be easily anchored in almost any conditions with little or no ground preparation, and Duignan says it should take a small team less than a day to assemble one structure. The huge cross-agency project is planned to finish in late March. Pictures are available here For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: In Banda Aceh, Indonesia: John Sparrow, International Federation Information Coordinator, telephone + 62 812 108 1759 Virgil Grandfield, International Federation Information Delegate, telephone + 62 812 104 8207 The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. © International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
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