Shelter cluster
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| Shelter cluster | |
|---|---|
| Name | Shelter cluster |
| Type | Humanitarian coordination mechanism |
| Region served | Global |
Shelter cluster is an international humanitarian coordination mechanism focused on shelter, housing, and non-food items in response to disasters and conflicts. It brings together actors such as United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Norwegian Refugee Council, International Organization for Migration, and UN-Habitat to coordinate needs assessments, standards, and emergency responses. The cluster interacts with donors, operational agencies, and national authorities including United States Agency for International Development, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, and the World Bank to mobilize resources and technical guidance.
Overview
The Shelter cluster operates within the humanitarian architecture shaped by the Global Cluster Approach and is often activated alongside the Health cluster, Protection cluster, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene cluster, and Camp Coordination and Camp Management cluster. It aims to ensure coherent action among actors such as Mercy Corps, CARE International, Save the Children, Oxfam International, and Action Against Hunger during crises like the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2015 Nepal earthquake, and the 2011 Horn of Africa drought. The cluster synthesizes inputs from humanitarian policy organs such as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and aligns with frameworks like the Sphere Handbook and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
History and development
Origins trace to coordination lessons from events including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and the 1998 Hurricane Mitch response, which prompted reforms by entities like United Nations Development Programme and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Formalization followed the adoption of the Global Cluster Approach after high-level reviews including the Humanitarian Response Review. Over time, practices have been informed by technical research from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, London School of Economics, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and case studies from International Committee of the Red Cross operations in contexts like the Syrian Civil War and the Yemen conflict.
Structure and coordination
At country level, the Shelter cluster is typically co-led by a UN agency (often UNHCR or IOM) and a non-UN lead such as Norwegian Refugee Council or IFRC, guided by global coordination from OCHA and technical inputs from organizations including Shelter Centre. Cluster mechanisms interface with national bodies such as Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (India), Kenya Red Cross Society, and municipal authorities in cities like Port-au-Prince, Kathmandu, and Mogadishu. Coordination tools include the Humanitarian Needs Overview, the Humanitarian Response Plan, and sector-specific products such as damage assessments used by European Commission delegations and bilateral partners like the Government of Japan.
Activities and standards
Activities span emergency shelter distribution, transitional shelter programs, cash-based interventions coordinated with Cash Learning Partnership, and repair and reconstruction guidance aligned with standards like the Sphere Handbook and Building Back Better principles. Technical guidance draws on expertise from International Organization for Migration shelter teams, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees technical manuals, and NGO toolkits from Habitat for Humanity and ShelterBox. The cluster also contributes to training initiatives with academic partners including University College London, Columbia University, and Institute of Development Studies, and collaborates with research centers such as International Institute for Environment and Development.
Funding and partnerships
Funding streams come from multilateral donors like the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, bilateral donors such as the United Kingdom Department for International Development, private foundations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and institutional lenders including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank through programs like the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. Partnerships include alliances with logistics providers like World Food Programme, technical agencies such as UNESCO for heritage-sensitive recovery, and private sector firms engaged via frameworks like the Private Sector Partnership arrangements with Microsoft and other corporate partners.
Challenges and criticisms
Critiques have arisen regarding duplication with local actors such as community-based organizations and municipal agencies, issues highlighted in reviews of operations in Haiti and Pakistan flood responses. Concerns include funding shortfalls reported by Global Humanitarian Overview processes, fragmentation observed in protracted crises like South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo, and debates over norms influenced by actors like International Committee of the Red Cross and Humanitarian Outcomes. Other challenges involve coordination with development financing from institutions such as the Asian Development Bank and integrating resilience goals promoted by the United Nations Development Programme amid political constraints seen in contexts like Afghanistan and Venezuela.