Of the 7.5 billion human population in the world, the United Nations has reported that as of 2015, 65.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Of these, 21.3 million are refugees, many of whom are forced to live their lives in just tents.
In a bid to provide a semblance of permanence to the displaced, an Indian designer has designed a unique makeshift shelter, keeping the needs of refugees in mind.
Sanjana Paramhans, who has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior designing from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, USA, developed the prototype in 2016. According to her, the structure has been designed to ensure the privacy of refugees.
The structure can be packaged and shipped without much hassle, and is made of lightweight yet durable materials.
It does need any form of electrical hardware to be assembled and can be completed by two people in an hour.
Photo source: Facebook
Sanjana, speaking to The Quint about her motivation to build the shelter, noted, “I decided to make a sanctuary for those who are temporarily displaced. An emergency shelter, to settle in before the legalities take place. Although intended to last a few days, sometimes these processes take up to months, leaving the refugees in extremely temporary dwellings.”
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Since it can be assembled in various permutations and combinations, the shelter is ideal for both single occupants as well as families. To further ensure privacy, there is also an incorporated roof and essentially functions as a complete home once fully assembled. However, the shelter is currently only in prototype stage, and it might be a while before it may be used in various refugee camps around the world.
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