Viability of Sphere Housing Standards within Dadaab Refugee Camps of North Eastern Kenya By Mitchell Sipus, International Development and Humanitarian Aid Consultant

1. Housing and Displacement
An Evaluation Of Sphere Minimum
Standards For Shelter Planning
Within a Protracted Refugee
Settlement
Mitchell Sipus, August 2008

2. Presentation
• Problem
• Literature
• Site
• Methodology
• Findings
• Analysis
• Conclusion

3. Thesis Problem
As Sphere Humanitarian Standards have
become the primary model for emergency
disaster relief, do the Sphere Standards
for Housing satisfy the needs of a long
term refugee crisis?

4. Sphere Humanitarian Charter: Minimum Standards in Disaster Relief
Strategic Planning - hosting, location, risk assessment
Physical Planning - safe and secure access, sanitation, privacy
Covered Living Space - roof covering, cultural practice, space provision
Design - dignity, participation, health, safety, and well-being
Construction - materials, labor, prevention
Environmental Impact - materials, resource management, handover
SPHERE, Human Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, 2004

5. Camp Planning Literature
Refugee Status Determination (RSD) is a legal process based
on the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the
additional 67 protocol, and the Charter of the African Union.
While the UN Convention demands specific issues of personal
persecution, the OAU Charter permits the recognition of
refugee status due to civil disturbance, such as war.
In such an instance, asylum seekers may acquire refuge within
African States, however further assistance and the acquisition
of personal rights will be dependent upon qualification of RSD
status under the UN system.

6. Camp Planning Literature
A comprehensive housing solution for displaced peoples
will include the concerns of:
Host Government United Nations
Security Environment
Economy

7. Dadaab Refugee Camps

8. Somalia
Kenya

9. S
O
K
M
Dadaab E
A
N
L
Y
I
A
A

10. Dagahaley
Ifo
Hagadera

14. Dadaab Shelter Problems
• Established: 1991
• Population: 187,000
• Security
• Environment
• Economy
• Housing

15. Thesis Problem
As Sphere Humanitarian Standards have
become the primary model for emergency
disaster relief, do the Sphere Standards
for Housing satisfy the needs of a long
term refugee crisis?

16. Methodology Methods of Inquiry
Field Data Collection
• Photo documentation
• Non-participatory Observation
• Interviews with Agency Officials
• Participation in Agency Operations*

17. Methodology Field Data Collection
and Analysis
Data Analysis
NRC Housing CARE Housing Indigenous Housing
Security Security Security
SPHERE Guidelines Environment Environment Environment
Economy Economy Economy
• Security - personal security, structural durability, comfort of inhabitant
• Environment - materials used, availability, and regeneration
• Economy - relationship to local construction economy, hbi, cost and labor
The method was to compare the NRC Sphere housing project to the other existing housing
solutions to embrace issues of security, environment, and economy.

18. Findings

19. Sphere Housing with NRC
• NRC Project Overview
– Intention &Process

20. Sphere Housing

21. Sphere Housing

23. Sphere Housing
• NRC Perceived Problems
– Reputation
– Consistency of wood timbers
– PR

24. Sphere Housing
• Identified Problems
• Security
– familiarity, brick stability, children, water
• Environment
– Reason for actions, vegetation, water
• Economy
– Reinforcement of power systems, distant market,
limited access, formal/informal divide, non
participatory in housing supply economy
• Additional
– Limited Tool supply

25. CARE Housing
Protected Block
Agency
Services

26. CARE Housing

27. CARE Housing

28. CARE Housing

29. CARE Housing

30. CARE Housing
• CARE Housing Problems
• Environment
– Location, design, vegetation, soil
• Security
– Structure, location, health and safety
• Economy
– zero

31. Refugee Housing
Refugee Housing Solutions

32. Refugee Housing
Somali Turlke

33. Refugee Housing
Security - lifespan, structure,
fence, comfort, knowledge,
ventilation, material collection
Environment - high
consumption but renewable
Economy - collect, buy, trade,
build, multi-use

34. Refugee Housing
Stick Built

35. Refugee Housing
Security - moderate,
material,ventilation, out
building, animals, fence,
Environment - consumption/
renew, roofing
Economy - skills, special
material, multi-use, low to
high skill

36. Refugee Housing
Wattle & Daab

37. Refugee Housing
Security - strong structure, local
Knowledge, pests, roofing
Environment - consumption/renew,
Economy - multi-use, large, rental,
Buy, sell, trade in materials, moderate skill

38. Refugee Housing
Mud Brick

39. Refugee Housing
Security - high security, except floods,
structure, safety, knowledge community
Separate cooking area
Environment - limited impact on soil,
High water consumption,
High maintenance
Economy - specialized skills,
Brick manufacturing
Roof attachment
Metal door fabrication
Multi-Use

40. Refugee Housing

41. Analysis

42. Security
1 – low NRC CARE Turkle Stick Wattle & Mud Brick
5 - high Daab
Security Totals 48 33 36 40 45 47
Climate & 5 5 5 5 5 5
Context
Duration 5 1 2 3 4 5
Roof Coverings 5 5 1 3 3 5
Cultural 2 1 5 3 3 2
Practices
Safety & 4 1 2 3 4 4
Privacy
Household 4 1 5 5 5 4
Activities
Space Division 3 1 1 2 3 3
Multi-Use 4 2 1 3 4 3
Hazardous materials 3 3 3 3 3 3
Ventilation 5 5 5 5 5 5
Thermal capacity 5 3 2 1 2 5
Vector risks 3 5 4 4 4 3

43. Environment
1 negative NRC CARE Turkle Stick Wattle & Mud Brick
5 positive Daab
Environment 29 25 18 19 21 25
Green Materials 5 5 5 5 5 5
Reduce long term 3 3 3 3 3 3
impact
Sourcing of 5 3 3 3 4 5
materials
Erosion 3 3 1 1 1 1
Handover 3 3 3 3 3 3
Rate of 5 4 2 3 4 4
Consumption
Regeneration of 5 4 1 1 1 4
materials

44. Economy
1 – low NRC CARE Turkle Stick Wattle & Mud
5 - high Daab Brick
Economy 19 6 24 25 26 27
Participatory 2 1 5 5 5 5
Materials 4 1 5 5 5 5
Support 2 1 5 5 5 5
informal
economy
Support 5 1 1 1 1 3
formal
economy
Assist home 4 1 5 5 5 5
consolidation
process
Support HBI 2 1 3 4 5 4

45. Totals
1 – low NRC CARE Turkle Stick Wattle & Mud Total
5 - high Brick
Security 48 33 36 40 45 47 249
Environment 25 29 18 19 21 25 137
Economy 19 6 24 25 26 27 127
Totals 92 68 78 84 92 99
• Sphere / NRC Housing is a tremendous improvement over the CARE
shelter…
• Why is the mud brick housing better than the SPHERE /NRC?
– Different Economic Roles
• Mud Brick Building
– Owners work within existing economic system
• Sphere Housing
– Agency works outside of the system

46. Conclusion

47. Does Sphere Housing meet the needs of Dadaab?
• Plan for multiple housing options within local economy
– Develop flexible housing plan to allow filtering and economic growth as not
all refugees have the same income
• Other ways it can improve:
– Maintenance programs
– Incorporate multiple use plan
– Work more closely with local economy (doors, nails, etc)
– Develop home maintenance programming
– Work with organic concentrations of market activity

48. Can Sphere Standards function within a
Protracted Refugee Settlement?
– Planners must go beyond the guidelines
• Demand for formulation of indicators
• Demand for true tailoring of standards to fit the
situation
• Demand for a deep recognition of permanent and
semi-permanent socio-economic and cultural
systems, how those systems spatially operate and
change over time.

49. Thank You