Shelter Cluster Somalia

ShelterCluster.org
Coordinating Humanitarian Shelter

CONCEPT PAPER: SUSTAINABLE SHELTER SOLUTIONS

Internally Displaced Persons in Somalia

SHELTER CLUSTER STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 2013-2015

There are an estimated 1.1 million IDPs in Somalia. The needs of different categories of IDPs, i.e.,
people who have been IDPs for nearly two decades and those displaced more recently, vary. The
cluster will continue to provide emergency assistance to newly displaced people affected by natural
and man-made disasters (flood, fire, drought, conflict and evictions).
As Somalia stabilizes further, the Shelter Cluster will continue to reduce its life-saving activities,
making progress towards sustainable and durable (shelter) solutions. For the 3 year Consolidated
Appeal Process, the humanitarian Shelter community has taken the opportunity to program and to
develop solutions that offer disaster and conflict-affected families longer term solutions. The Shelter
Cluster objectives now have strategic outcomes to reflect the need to design interventions that fit
better the target populations needs:
• Emergency objective: Contribute to the protection of newly displaced populations and those
affected by natural hazards from life-threatening elements.
• Transitional objective: Improve the living conditions of people in need in stabilized
settlements (with a strong focus on ending humanitarian dependency through sustainable
approaches).
• Durable Solutions objective: Facilitate access to durable solutions for displaced populations
through local integration.
Community participation and ownership are underlying themes for the three year CAP which are
embedded in all cluster activities.

THE SEARCH FOR DURABLE SOLUTIONS IN SOMALIA

The guiding principle on Internal Displacement stipulates in Principle nr 6 that “displacement shall
last no longer than required by the circumstances”1. A durable solution is achieved when IDPs no
longer have any specific assistance and protection needs that are linked to their displacement and
can enjoy their human rights without discrimination on account of their displacement2. It can be
achieved through:
• Reintegration at the place of origin (return)

• Local integration in areas where internally displaced persons take refuge (local integration)

• Integration in another part of the country (settlement elsewhere in the country)

The primary responsibility to provide durable solutions for IDPs needs to be assumed by the national
authorities. It is most crucial that all stakeholders should respect the individual right of each IDP to
make an informed and voluntary choice for his/her durable solution. Humanitarian and development
actors both have a role to play in supporting durable solutions from the beginning of the process.

1
UNOCHA Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement
2
IASC Framework on Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons

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 Shelter Cluster Somalia
ShelterCluster.org
Coordinating Humanitarian Shelter

Although the overall security situation has improved since the beginning of 2013, it will be important
to determine to what extent a durable solution can be achieved in Somalia. Of the eight criteria set
forward in the IASC, four of them remain problematic in achieving final durable solutions in the
Somalia context: access to livelihoods; restoration of Housing Land and Property; participation in
public affairs; and access to effective remedies/justice. With the absence of development actors in
major parts of Somalia, the humanitarian actors will fill in this space to ensure a swift transition
towards resilience.
Resilience could be defined as follows:

“The capacity of a system, community or society potentially exposed to hazards to adapt,

by resisting or changing in order to reach or maintain an acceptable level of functioning
and structure. This is determined by the degree to which the social system is capable of
organizing itself to increase its capacity for learning from past disasters for better future
protection and to improve risk reduction measures.” CARE INTERNATIONAL

“Resilience is the ability of individuals, communities, organisations or countries exposed

to disasters, crises and underlying vulnerabilities to anticipate, reduce the impact of, cope
with, and recover from the effects of adversity without compromising their long term
prospects” INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT.

SUSTAINABLE SHELTER SOLUTIONS FOR THE SOMALIA CONTEXT

The Shelter Cluster is stepping away from care and maintenance towards durable solutions. Although
the overall security situation has improved since the beginning of 2013, it will be important to
determine to what extent a durable solution can be achieved in Somalia. Of the eight criteria set
forward in the IASC, four of them remain problematic in achieving final durable solutions in the
Somalia context: access to livelihoods; restoration of Housing Land and Property; participation in
public affairs; and access to effective remedies/justice. In this times of change, the humanitarian
actors will work to bridge the gap with the development actors.
In the Somalia context, the level of Shelter interventions will vary depending on the demographic
situation of the household, which is often linked to their livelihood. The needs to accomplish durable
solutions in rural and urban settings will vary. Investments in basic services should be the main focus
for rural settings to improve the physical access of the agro-pastoralists to infrastructures (like
markets, schools and health centres) which will make their solution sustainable. As basic services are
already available urban contexts (local integration), there will be a stronger focus on the provision of
adequate housing and improved protection at household level, as the base of livelihood is strongly
linked to the physical space where the households reside.
It will be impossible to accomplish all the criteria3 in achieving durable solutions for the long term
displaced populations in Somalia mainly due to problems related to land tenure, IDP legal rights
status and low funding level. The Shelter Cluster will therefore focus on sustainable shelter solutions
to ensure that communities are more resilient to future shocks. The dimensions of sustainability are
environmental, social, economic, human and political4.

3
IASC Framework on Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons: access to livelihoods; restoration of HLP ; participation in public
affairs; and access to effective remedies/justice
4
Defining disaster resilience (a DFID approach): Resilience-enhancing activities can be usefully classified using the ‘assets pentagon’ from
the sustainable livelihoods framework – social, human, physical, financial, and natural.

SOMALIA 2
 Shelter Cluster Somalia
ShelterCluster.org
Coordinating Humanitarian Shelter

The concept of Transitional Shelter fits well within the focus of resilience and sustainability.
Transitional shelter is an incremental process, which supports the shelter of families affected by
conflicts and disasters, as they seek to maintain alternative options for their recovery. Recent
literature tends to put more emphasis on the requirement that the shelter offers at least one, but
preferably all of the following options: upgradeable, reusable, resalable or recyclable.5
Transitional shelter should be designed to physically complement and contribute to permanent
reconstruction. It is important to bear in mind that transitional shelter is a short-term intervention
with a long-term impact on the recovery process6. In the Somalia context, transitional shelter designs
can support both the search for durable solutions like local integration with an emphasis on
‘upgradeability and recyclability,’ as well as the search for resilience building in a protracted crisis
with an emphasis on ‘re-usability and re-saleability’.
Sustainable shelter approaches need to be addressed as a holistic package and needs a strong
integrated approach with all other sectors (WASH, education, health, etc.). The following activities
need to be incorporated in each action plan:
• Security of Land Tenure

• Livelihoods strategy

• Spatial integration of the settlement (including social and economic spaces) and integration
of infrastructure services

• Culturally adapted Shelter and Settlement design, including protection concerns

LIVELIHOODS OWNERSHIP LAND TENURE

As this approach is wider than the Shelter Clusters roles and responsibilities, advocacy for the
integrated and holistic package will be an integral part of Shelter Responses. The table above reflects
the priorities for Shelter.

5
Transitional Shelter Guidelines, Shelter Centre, 2012
6
Transitional Shelter: 8 designs, IFRC, 2011: “If transitional shelters are well designed, the materials form the transitional shelter can be re-
used for housing reconstruction and development.”

SOMALIA 3
 Shelter Cluster Somalia
ShelterCluster.org
Coordinating Humanitarian Shelter

SHELTER CLUSTER PRIORITIES 2013-2015

As the Shelter Cluster will not be able to be responsible for all task related to more sustainable
programming, the following three topics will be highlighted throughout their programmes:
A. HOUSING, LAND AND PROPERTY
Most land in Somalia is privately owned. Dominant clans control land and are often hesitant or
unwilling to sell land to outsiders or members of other clans. Lack of access to land and insecurity of
tenure are major obstacles to durable solutions and represent a root problem that needs to be
addressed in order to affect change. In urban areas of Somalia, evictions are common and likely to
increase as the security situation stabilizes, urbanization continues and foreign and domestic
investment increases. Rural-Urban migration and growing urbanisation add their own complexity to
the situation, as these are global phenomena in developing countries that need to be taken into
account.
In the Somalia context, land tenure remains a determining factor to shelter options and approaches.
There remains a lack of common approach to achieve security of tenure among the Shelter Cluster
members. There is also a lack of agreement on the different thresholds of security of tenure for the
various shelter types, creating confusion and in some cases, obstacles to achieving durable solutions.
access to secure land and security of tenure remain key to achieving durable solutions. The current
early recovery context in Somalia has created a momentum to address HLP issues in a systematic
manner in order to increase the probability of achieving durable solutions. Knowledge and a common
approach on housing, land and property issues will be invaluable as the situation stabilizes further
and property owners. The Shelter Cluster has included one outcome indicator related to land tenure
in the CAP: “Nr of households with improved land tenure”.
B. OWNER DRIVEN APPROACHES AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

“Whether we call them owner-driven, community-based or assisted self-help projects,

there is evidence of growing interest in the use of participatory approaches for post-
disaster recovery and reconstruction in both urban and rural areas”1.

In an owner driven approach, the prioritization of needs and the decision-making are in the hands of
the affected families, giving them ownership of their project. Owner driven does not imply that the
affected family should provide construction labour, but it requires that they manage the
reconstruction with technical assistance. Owner Driven projects are defined by three fundamental
requirements:
1. Participatory process of decision-making,
2. Adequate technical support and
3. Adequate financial assistance
How the beneficiaries or communities participate, the extent of the technical support provided and
the amount and distribution mechanism of the financial assistance should be determined based on
detailed field assessments including assessments of the capacity of families and communities to
manage the process.
In the Somalia context, contractor-driven approaches have been the preferred labour assistance
method due to difficult access, clan-based tensions, political support, availability of skilled labour and
existing capacity. Since the beginning of 2011 in Somalia, there has been a step-by-step approach to
increase the inclusion of the beneficiaries in all parts of the process, from the project set-up until the
construction itself and the handover.

SOMALIA 4
 Shelter Cluster Somalia
ShelterCluster.org
Coordinating Humanitarian Shelter

The Shelter Cluster will continue to push towards owner decision making processes where the
shelters can be built by the beneficiaries themselves, when sufficient skills are available and disaster
risk reduction measures are understood and integrated into traditional building techniques. Self-help
labour is the most participatory labour type, but also implies a stronger follow-up in monitoring,
more focus on capacity building and the need for flexibility. Cash-Transfer Programmes (CTP) are
growing in popularity and can be used when market structures are existing, functional and reliant.
The Shelter Cluster will provide mainstreaming sessions on CTP during 2014.
Participatory approaches should also be used for decision making on settlement planning,
infrastructure services and community layouts with a strong focus on Disaster Risk Reduction
measures, on protection and provision of dignified living space7.
C. INTEGRATED PROGRAMMING
As this approach is wider than the Shelter Clusters roles and responsibilities, advocacy for the
integrated and holistic package will be an integral part of Shelter Responses. The table above reflects
the priorities for Shelter.

DESIGNING SHELTER

Shelter designs should be adapted to each location, response and project. The shelter design should
reflect the needs, local culture, vulnerability and capacities of the affected community and the
resources available.8 A design must balance many factors: life-span, size/shape, privacy issues,
cultural appropriateness, ventilation and thermal comfort, environment, cost, availability of
resources…
Community participation in the process of Shelter Design is crucial to ensure socio cultural
awareness. Customs and traditions, cultural habits and other activities of daily life should be
reflected in the design. Additional support should be provided to the most vulnerable people to
ensure accessibility of the shelter to all users.
The main aim of the Shelter Design is to minimise risk and to ensure shelter safety9. The design phase
is a useful platform for communicating and incorporating disaster risk reduction (DRR) techniques.
Designing shelters in response to the local climate increases the performance of the building in
keeping the occupants comfortable.
Local construction techniques and the availability of materials, will be another crucial factor in taking
a decision in the design. In most parts of the world, local construction techniques and the use of local
materials have changed significantly during the last century, with the introduction of materials such
as corrugated galvanised sheeting. In general, shelter design should try and mirror as much as
possible the local construction techniques and materials. Improvements to local techniques can be
made if risk reduction measures are required.
In the Somalia context, land tenure remains a determining factor to deciding the level of durability.
Since the beginning of 2011, there has been a strong push through the Shelter Cluster to diversify the
different shelter solutions and methodologies.

7
Participatory Approach for Safe Shelter Awareness (PASSA) is a participatory method of disaster risk reduction (DRR) related to shelter
safety, IFRC, 2011
8
Transtional Shelters: eight designs, IFRC, 2011
9
Shelter Safety Handbook, IFRC, 2011

SOMALIA 5
 Shelter Cluster Somalia
ShelterCluster.org
Coordinating Humanitarian Shelter

WHERE EMERGENCY ENDS AND WHERE DURABLE SOLUTIONS CAN START

Transitional shelter should be designed to physically complement and contribute to permanent

reconstruction. It is important to bear in mind that transitional shelter is a short-term intervention
with a long-term impact on the recovery process. In the Somalia context, transitional shelter designs
can support both the search for durable solutions like local integration with an emphasis on
‘upgradeability and recyclability,’ as well as the search for resilience building in a protracted crisis
with an emphasis on ‘re-usability and re-saleability’.
The Shelter Cluster is developing a decision making tool, to inform a common strategy on what kind
of approaches are most suited to ensure sustainability of the shelter interventions. It will provide a
guide to the level of community participation, the support methods used and the level of assistance
provided (emergency/transitional/permanent). Specifically for the Somalia operation, the following
considerations are to be taken into account:
• Urban, Rural and Border regions: The needs to accomplish durable solutions in rural and
urban settings will vary. Shelter interventions in rural parts of the country, will have a
stronger focus on community infrastructure and improving access, while shelter approaches
in urban centres will take the household dimension into perspective. Border regions will
need to be looked at separately as mass shelter operations in these areas will have a pull-
factor and will negatively affect the returnees programs.
• Accessibility: to be able to provide durable or even sustainable shelter solutions, it will be
crucial to have physical access to the beneficiaries (balancing out cost versus impact).

• Target Groups: the Shelter Cluster deals with different target populations: protracted IDPs
(more than 5-10 years), newly displaced persons and host community/urban poor. All
populations will be dealt with differently.

• Intention: Different Shelter approaches should be looked at depending on the intention of

the households: local integration, return, relocation to another part of the country and un-
decided10. In some cases (ex Mogadishu), the authorities have a strategy to relocate all the
IDPs outside town.
• Land tenure: the level of land tenure will help take decisions on the level of shelter
intervention.
• Market Analysis: (emergency) market mapping and analysis needs to be undertaken to
understand the capacity of the local markets to be able to decide what kind of material
methods (local/international sourcing and prefabrication) and support methods (cash,
vouchers, market interventions, loans,etc.) will be appropriate.

• Willingness of the community involvement in the construction process: the beneficiaries

should make their own choice to what level they want to be involved in the process. This will
help define what shelter approach to be considered.

• Availability of funds: if sufficient funds are available to assist the whole community with
durable solutions as a holistic package, the decision can be taken to consider permanent
shelter.

10
In some cases (ex Mogadishu), the authorities have a strategy to relocate all the IDPs outside town. The
holistic strategy in this document, should also be reflected in relocation strategies.

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