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BANGKOK, 30th November 2005:
Habitat for Humanity is exploring using a UN Habitat strategy
to produce semi-permanent houses that could provide winter
shelter for thousands of people left homeless by the 8th
October earthquake.
The proposal would involve using a UN-endorsed house design that would be sourced
from a Habitat resource center serving Balakot, an area west of the earthquake's
deadly epicenter.
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UN
design: simple and appropriate,
materials for this house can be re-used when
the construction season begins
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The A-frame house design
covers 40-50 sq. m., large enough for housing people and
farm animals in inclement weather. The walls are made of
sandbags and the roof of up to 16 sheets of galvanized iron.
Timber is used for the roof frame support.
Insulation comes from an ingenious use of running string inside the roof, and
stuffing old rice sacks packed with straw and other materials between the string
and the roof sheets.
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Keeping
warm: string holds stuffed sacks against
roofing sheets for insulation |
The house is designed to
prevent strangers from viewing women and family activities.
The structure is designed to be strengthened and enlarged in the spring. Habitat
would probably make some design adaptations to make the units more fully permanent.
"If the idea comes to fruition and funds are available, the houses will
be rolled out in groups of 500 units," says Barry Mackey, Habitat's regional
program manager for India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"Most of the materials for the units would be reused from destroyed homes,
such as dirt from the broken walls, wood from the house frames, and stones.ĘTools
and training will be provided along with the corrugated iron sheets, plastic
bags, nails and wire and string."
Mackey added that each house would be built on land owned by a family.
As well as being the base for launching the UN Habitat house, the proposed
Habitat resource center would have other functions. It would provide technical
support to other non-governmental organizations involved in shelter and related
services; provide direct shelter assistance as funding was available; network
with UN Habitat and other groups in the delivery of shelter to affected areas;
and explore opportunities for on-going programs.
The Habitat resource center in Balakot should be functioning by February 2006
at the latest and be operational for at least 12 months.
Meanwhile, delivery of hundreds of winter shelter kits is continuing. Working
with a network of hospitals and clinics in the Balakot area, Habitat advisors
have been providing logistical assistance for the delivery and installation
of the kits.
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Pakistan Earthquake 
