Ikea To Supply 10,000 Temporary Homes For Syrian Refugees

Swedish furniture giants IKEA have teamed up with the United Nations to offer a solution to the growing probelm of accommodation for refugees.

The new housing products ('Better Shelters') are a 57 square foot flat-pack alternative to the tents currently used, and they come equipped with windows, mosquito nets, lights, ventilation, and a lockable door to keep women and children safe from sexual violence (a common problem in many refugee camps). The temporary homes can also be disassembled and reused when needed, and have a solar-powered energy system affixed to the roof to provide energy for the LED lights or for charging a mobile phone.

Although they come in at three times the price of the tents currenty in use, it's predicted they will last six times as long as they are more durable and less prone to damage or deteioration.

Johan Karlsson, the IKEA designer behind the shelters explains how  "obviously the situation is complex and goes far beyond shelter.. this is just a tiny part of humanitarian aid, but it's an important one when it comes to allowing displaced people to live with dignity." 

The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees has already ordered 10,000 'Better Shelters'.

For more information on the project, head to the Better Shelter website