ShelterBox in Action - 2024
ShelterBox believe in a world where no one is without shelter after disaster. Because they believe shelter is so much more than just a roof; that it’s the foundation for life, families and communities ShelterBox’s sole focus is on emergency shelter and this allows them to provide the best shelter solutions for people after disaster and conflict.
Boxing Day 2024 brought the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami which was one of the deadliest sudden onset emergencies in modern history and reflects how it changed forever how they respond to disasters. ShelterBox, only founded in 2000, was a relatively new and small charity then and their response was the largest in their history. Working with Rotary in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives, they supported tens of thousands of people with emergency shelter. They sent, from their then headquarters in Helston, Cornwall, 200 boxes (which was how they transported their emergency shelter then) filled with a tent, toolkit, ground sheet, water filter, and mosquito net, as well as kitchen pots and pans, hats and gloves and many more followed. For the first time they recruited ShelterBox volunteers from firefighters and healthcare workers to travel with the boxes and distribute them and within days had a team of four ready to travel to Sri Lanka. This response changed the way they worked as ShelterBox Response Team volunteers are now an established and essential part of ShelterBox responses around the world.
Gaza
In Gaza almost all buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including houses, schools, and hospitals. At least 1.9 million people have been displaced, 70,000 people in northern Israel and around one million people in Lebanon with families having to move again and again. The need for shelter is overwhelming in the Middle East, winters can be cold and wet and they are working with local partners to distribute aid including plastic sheeting, rope, tarpaulins, mattresses, bedding sets, washing sets, hygiene kits, kitchen kit and tents.
Lebanon
As the war in Gaza rages on ShelterBox note it is now having a devastating effect in Lebanon, buildings have been reduced to rubble and people have fled airstrikes with only what they can carry and don’t have the essentials they need to survive. Whilst the ceasefire offers people a glimmer of hope, many have lost everything and although people have begun returning home tens of thousands do not have safe and secure homes to return to and will remain displaced or living in damaged homes for the foreseeable future requiring humanitarian assistance. ShelterBox are responding partnering with a community aid organisation based in Lebanon supporting displaced people in collective shelters with thermal blankets and hygiene kits. They are also funding cleaning items like brooms, floor mops, and soap that people can use to keep shared shelters tidy and as clean as is possible when conditions are crowded.
Philippines
Every year, around 20 tropical storms sweep across the Philippines. It’s one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, affected by extreme weather, earthquakes, and active volcanoes. Recently it has been hit by six tropical storms - back-to-back in less than a month. ShelterBox have a team permanently based in Cebu with stored emergency shelter and are liaising closely with the Rotary Executive Director of Disaster Management Incorporated (DMI) of D3860 to understand what emergency shelter is required and the most efficient way to get aid to people who need it most.
Syria
The Assad regime has fallen which marks a historic turning point after nearly 14 years of conflict and heralds an extremely uncertain time for the people of Syria. More than half of the pre-war population of Syria have been displaced; many are without adequate shelter, living in collective centres, old tents, or makeshift shelters in camps and 16m people still need humanitarian assistance. ShelterBox were able to respond with blankets and mattresses for new arrivals but further aid distributions with their local partner were paused until it is safe to continue. Winter aid distributions in northwest Syria to provide tarpaulins, rope, warm clothing, shoes, and high thermal blankets to families during the bitterly cold Syrian winter have now resumed.
MozambiqueThe conflict in northern Mozambique has been causing widespread displacement since 2017 and is one of the fastest growing displacement crises in the world. People are having to move again and again as areas become unsafe because of the escalating violence. As of March 2024, over 780,000 people (80% are women and children) have been forced to leave their homes. The need for shelter is huge, with families sleeping outdoors, exposed to harsh weather, disease and other protection risks. On top of this on 15 December 2024 Tropical Cyclone Chido hit Mozambique, damaging homes, roads and other buildings. Over 170,000 people have been affected and hundreds are staying in evacuation centres in Pemba. ShelterBox have been providing support with shelter kits, tarpaulins, solar lights, kitchen sets, sleeping mats, and mosquito nets to the vulnerable communities affected by the conflict and we will be responding to Tropical Cyclone Chido with blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, woven bags, mosquito nets and solar lights.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is in crisis. Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes due to violent conflict, rising hunger and economic instability all of which have left millions of people in need. ShelterBox have supported over 157,000 people in Ethiopia since 2018. Working with their local partner, ShelterBox have supported a total of 35,000 people in the Afar and Somali regions in the last year with tarpaulins, rope, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, water carriers and kitchen sets which help people to survive in the increasing insecurity.
Somalia
Looming famine, deadly drought and conflict has caused more than 1.7 million people to flee their homes in Somalia. As a result many people are living in unfit conditions with basic needs not met, privacy and protection concerns and women and children especially vulnerable. ShelterBox provided the materials and technical guidance to their local partner to construct locally appropriate shelters, built using timber framing and tarpaulins, for people who plan to return home in the longer-term and emergency shelter for those who plan to immediately return home. Their durability means people are well protected from extreme weather and a lockable door gives people privacy. They are also providing aid packages with other essential items: - a solar light, kitchen sets, water carriers, mosquito nets, blankets and sleeping mats.
Malawi
Heavy rainfall in Malawi in early 2024 led to severe flooding and more than 12,000 displaced people in central Malawi. The floods also destroyed crops, roads and bridges. People displaced by the floods have been living in schools and other community buildings, or with host families. Thousands more sought shelter in displacement camps where there were already families living displaced by Cyclone Freddy in 2023. ShelterBox responded with aid that was already positioned there following that cyclone including - tarpaulins, groundsheets, tools, water filters and carriers, kitchen sets, solar lights, thermal blankets and mattresses.
Bangladesh
In May 2024, Cyclone Remal made landfall in Bangladesh and was the most devastating storm to hit Bangladesh for some years bringing devastating winds and intense flooding that destroyed or severely damaged around 170,000 homes. ShelterBox partnered with a local aid organisation focusing on helping people build emergency shelters with corrugated iron sheeting, timber, bamboo, rope and fixings; to support with rebuilding, they also gave cash assistance to help families transport aid items and hire local tradespeople to help them build homes.
Yemen
Yemen is one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises as is a result of the bitter civil war, starvation, and a failing economy. A 2022 ceasefire came to an end in October 2024. The conflict has internally displaced 4.5 million people since 2015. ShelterBox have previously provided people who are newly displaced with a UN family tent as well as water filters, blankets, sleeping mats, solar lights, mosquito nets, water carriers, washing facilities and kitchen sets. They are now working to provide households with more durable shelters known as ‘iron net’ shelters which consist of an iron net frame on a concrete base, thermal insulation and a corrugated steel outer shell as well as priority shelter items such as mattresses and blankets. Shelter kits containing tarpaulin and rope have also been made available to those affected by sudden onset disasters, such as flooding.
Ukraine
ShelterBox continued to respond with aid in Ukraine and have helped more than 37,000 people so far not only those displaced within Ukraine but also refugees who crossed the border into Moldova. They are currently concentrating on supporting people through the bitter winter months reaching around 30,000 more people with essential items - thermal blankets, clothing, and emergency repair kits (which will help people fix damaged roofs, seal windows and doors, keep the heat in and make homes watertight) to help them survive.
Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl has left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean islands. Entire communities are now living out in the open or in overcrowded buildings like schools. ShelterBox are partnering with Rotary to get emergency shelter aid and other essential items to thousands of people uprooted from their homes on the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique in Grenada where, most buildings, homes and schools, have been damaged or destroyed. This aid will include tents as well as essential items like mosquito nets, solar lights, and cooking sets.