IKEA & Nonprofit Deploy 5,000 Emergency Modular Shelters In Turkey And Syria

Following the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Swedish nonprofit Better Shelter has stepped in to provide survivors with 5,000 emergency homes, thanks to a sizeable US$10.5 million donation by the IKEA Foundation.

The Turkish Red Crescent has been deploying temporary modular units to the thousands in the two countries who remain homeless after the earthquakes, some of which are used as housing, field clinics, or classrooms for children.

Previously, Better Shelter contributed 10,000 of such shelters—which were developed together with the United Nations Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)—to be used in Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Colombia in similar manners.

These modular units are convenient to ship and set up for rescue workers on the ground, considering they can travel flat and can be assembled in just hours without the need for tools.

Each shelter comes with a lockable door and has a solar-powered lamp installed. The idea is to provide people displaced by the disaster with “safety and dignity on their path toward life” when they eventually move into permanent homes.

“As the devastating impact of the earthquake further unfolds, it becomes clear that our collective efforts are required to support the many children and families,” said IKEA Foundation CEO Per Heggenes.

[via Archinect and IKEA Foundation, images by Better Shelter and featured with permission