shelter from the storm


“I get to give thousands of people a house every day.” UNHCR shelter specialist Tom Corcoran has a first- hand perspective on how important it is to have a home—if even a temporary one. He leads a team of UNHCR staff and refugees to build shelters for tens of thousands of refugees


escaping Burundi. the exodus Since


2015, over 250,000 people have fled the country,


triggered


by the ruling party’s bid for another governing term. Many come to Tanzania, where Tom works in remote Nduta to build camps.


“Once people are settled in the camp you can see the difference as soon as they get their shelter or their tent,” Tom explains. “The atmosphere changes and people then are quite relaxed and you can talk with them openly about next steps.”


Shelter is a crucial survival mechanism for all of us. On a bitterly cold night or scorching afternoon, it can mean the difference between life and death. It’s also the key to feeling safe and self-sufficient, and having a roof over our heads gives us a measure of dignity. Most Canadians take all of this for granted. Most refugees do not, the experience of leaving


their home behind—often


without notice—a defining moment in their lives.


Tom’s job as a shelter specialist is critical in UNHCR’s efforts to


A core piece of UNHCR’s mission is to guarantee access to adequate shelter in humanitarian emergencies. In May of this year, the organization announced shortfall refugees


a in is funds sheltering severely crisis undermining


efforts to tackle the biggest global displacement


since World


War II. That prompted the launch of “Nobody Left Outside,” a campaign to raise awareness of the need for refugee shelter. It calls on the private sector


to contribute funds


for shelter solutions for two million refugees. The campaign is aimed at individuals, companies,


foundations and philanthropists worldwide.


half-billion-dollar for


provide shelter to refugees. “The first problem we have in Nduta is keeping pace with the flow of 2000 refugees that are coming in monthly,” he says. He witnesses the change in people’s demeanour


once they’ve


allocated a shelter “…it’s like a cultural triage,


they have and at least giving them a home again gives them some sort of feeling of security,” he explains. In the camp they use shelters, with a pole construction and plastic


sheeting.


They cost about $120 and hold approximately five people. Superior to tents, they withstand the elements better and for a longer period of time. “They are very basic,” Tom says, “but enough to keep people out of the elements.”


been they’ve lost everything that


18 / UNHCR


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