Deepening the understanding of shelter through the proposals of the displaced in Syria

• Published in: GeoJournal Vol. 89; no. 4; p. 181
• Main Authors: Ismail, Issam Hasan, Al-Hazmi, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed, Al-Hussein, Abd AL Razzaq
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 12.08.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ambiguity; Bathrooms; Beneficiaries; Collaboration; Design; Disasters; Displaced persons; Environmental Management; Fire resistance; Geography; Human Geography; Humanitarianism; Privacy; Proposals; Qualitative research; Shelters; Social Sciences; Ventilation; Syria; IDP; Disasters; Shelter; Refugees; Crises; Syria; Camps
• DOI: 10.1007/s10708-024-11171-x
• ISSN: 1572-9893; 0343-2521

To prevent the exacerbation of conditions after wars and disasters, it is necessary to secure adequate shelters for the affected. Significant efforts are being made, but there is still a gap between the need and what has been provided, due to the focus of strategies on production, transportation, and distribution, as well as the lack of studies on the technical aspects of shelter and the ambiguity in the technical instructions for shelters. This paper aims to deepen the understanding of shelters, measure the satisfaction of beneficiaries with the provided models, and develop proposals to improve the shelter models according to the preferences of the beneficiaries. To achieve this goal, a methodology was adopted that uses quantitative and qualitative methods through a survey of proposals from 160 families in Syria, living in four shelter models approved by organizations. The paper concluded that to improve the conditions of shelter, the focus should be on the importance of the participation of the beneficiaries and taking their opinions and preferences into account in the design process, increasing the shelter area according to the number of individuals and dividing it into more than one space, developing more insulating external envelopes for heat, humidity, and fire resistance with a focus on the privacy of the occupants, increasing the strength of the structure, and using sustainable techniques for ventilation, lighting, and providing a kitchen and a private bathroom. The study recommends taking these factors into consideration in future solutions to develop new models to improve the conditions of shelter.