Scenarios+and+Requirements


 * __Scenarios__**


 * __Scenario One__ **

In this scenario, we outline the benefits of our portable dwelling in regards to displacement due to war. Civil war is prominent in many African countries. Displacement is rampant causing many civilians to flee their villages and homes. In Algeria, many towns were terrorized by armed groups, with approximately 1.5 million people being displaced (IDMC: Algeria). Similar stories are seen in many other African countries, with 4.9 million displaced persons in Sudan, 2.1 million in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 1.3 million in Somalia; the list is endless (IDMC).

Upon receiving word of approaching soldiers, families scramble to assemble their most person belongings. They are forced to abandon their houses/huts and flee. Most of their dwellings are made of many heavy, bulky materials, and they are impossible to dismantle and carry. Urgency forces many families to leave their shelters. If some do manage to dismantle pieces of their dwelling, the weight during transportation may be too much of a burden to carry.

Once they arrive at their new destination, they will have to find new materials to rebuild their homes. The structure and durability of their new homes will rely solely on the availability of scrap materials at their new location and what they managed to bring.

**__Scenario Two__ **

Almost a third of the world’s population lives in shantytowns, or slums, in makeshift houses made of cardboard, mud, and corrugated tin (Unger and Riley 2007). Those subjected to this squalor also face the many heightened health threats that come with inadequate housing.

A displaced refugee child who calls a slum or shantytown home typically seeks shelter in a filthy, loosely-constructed structure, most likely shared with several other children and adults. Her “house” may have been constructed in the most readily available area, including on hillsides, exposing the structure to floods of dirty water and sewage (Unger and Riley 2007). When the dirty water sloshes into the shanty house, the child could get cholera, or other diseases from exposure to fecal matter (Unger and Riley 2007).

The filthy, rotting building materials used to build it may carry bacteria with them, which she might inhale or inadvertently consume. The crowded conditions will make it easier for her to get sick, and spread her sickness to others.

If her family has no stable shelter from the shade, if it’s blown away by wind or knocked down by pummeling rain, then she faces the threat of dehydration, aggravated by ailments she may already have, like diarrhea.

**__Scenario Three__**

In Africa, natural disasters such flashfloods and earthquakes can bring devastation to communities throughout the continent. These natural disasters often force families out of their homes, and many are often left with nothing. Of the continent’s approximately 35 million refugees and displaced persons eighty percent are women and children (Colletta et al., 1996).

Including those affected by natural disasters, UNICEF estimates that in Africa, five to ten million children are left orphaned each year (Colletta et al., 1996). Children who lose their parents to a natural disaster are left scrambling to not only find food and shelter, but rebuild their lives on their own.

In 1992, sixty percent of those who lost their homes and were living in refugee camps in Somalia were children under fifteen (Colletta et al., 1996). Living in such harsh conditions while simultaneously dealing with the loss of their parents can have serious negative implications on a child’s health and development. Orphaned children growing up in a stressful environment without adequate food and shelter are at risk of not only poor health, but also impaired mental, social, and emotional development (Colletta et al., 1996).


 * __Scenario Four __**

Due to a constant and prolonged onslaught of warfare throughout The Democratic Replublic of the Congo, around a million people have been displaced in 2009 alone, with a total number of over 2.1 million IDP's (Internally Displaced Peoples) (NRC, 2010). Due to the insecurities of the area as well as the remotivity of certain areas, help has been far and little in this region of the world.

A large humanitarian group decides that large groups of wandering villages must be stopped and in order for that to happen, a safe haven of sorts needs to be established where IDP's can migrate to without fear of more warfare, bloodshed and someplace with proper medical facilities. The group decides to build temporary medical centers that need the ability to be set up and taken down quickly and easily.

The biggest problem with this solution is setting up shelter for such a large number of people while still having adequate funds for medical help and supplies. Inexpensive, yet durable housing is needed in order to ensure that IDP's can get the proper shelter while seeking medical help. Shelters that can last for years, yet can be moved from place to place are a huge resource to humanitarian groups wanting to set up medical facilities.

__References__

"Internal Displacement in Africa." Internal Displaced Monitoring Centre (IDMC). []

"Algeria: Despite an overall improvement of the security situation, violence and threats continued to displace the civil population up to the year 2002 (November 2002)." Internal Displaced Monitoring Centre (IDMC). [|http://www.internal-displacement.org/idmc/website/countries.nsf/(httpEnvelopes)/186D919814053972802570B8005A722F?OpenDocument]

 Unger, A., and LW RIley. "PLoS Medicine: Slum Health: From Understanding to Action." //PLoS Medicine: A Peer-Reviewed Open-Access Journal//. 2007. Web. 14 Mar. 2010. [].

NRC, Norwegian Refugee Council ``Over 2.1 Million IDP`s in the Context of Deteriorating Humanitarian Conditions`` Imternal Displaced monitoring Center (IDMC), [|http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004BE3B1/(httpInfoFiles)/F4D1EB858711A38AC12576D4005079A5/$file/DRC_Overview_Feb10.pdf]

Colletta, N.J., Balachander, J., & Liang, X. (1996). __The condition of young children in Sub- Saharan Africa: The convergence of health, nutrition, & early education.__ (World Bank Technical Paper No. 326). Washington, DC: World Bank.

__**Requirements **__

__**Must Have**__ - Durable - Light-weight - Portable - Sturdy mechanism to ensure it remains upright - Rain-proof roof - Mosquito-proof

__**Should Have**__ - Ventilation- optional windows, vents - Sturdy carrying case with wheels (removable) and pulling handles - Easy to setup - Plastic walls that will be light but durable

**__Could Have__** - Locking door - Reflective roof to help keep dwelling cool. - Rainwater collector

**__Want to Have But Will Not__** - Solar panels - 'Green' materials (bamboo or another renewable resource) - Connection to water pump