To strengthen the European Union’s capacity to respond to crises or natural disasters, the EU has decided to add emergency shelters to RescEU - the strategic reserve of equipment of the Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), the European Commission announced on Tuesday 4 April.
To this end, €116.6 million from the EU budget has been allocated to several countries participating in the UCPM - Croatia, Spain, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey - for the acquisition and housing of these shelter reserves, which are able to accommodate thousands of people.
The first accommodation units will be available during 2024. They will help countries that are beyond their national capacity and are requesting assistance to meet their shelter needs quickly, should the need arise.
These quick-to-deploy emergency accommodation units - lightweight prefabricated structures, containers and tents - will be complemented by showers and toilets, kitchens, laundry facilities and communal areas, with particular attention paid to safe spaces for children and the most vulnerable, the Commission said in a statement.
The EU institution specifies that 20% of the units, as well as the common areas, have been designed for people with mobility problems or disabilities. It adds that “these reserves will help to reduce the environmental impact at all stages of the project” - the manufacturing process (“reducing waste, minimising transport with components produced in Europe and choosing recycled or reusable materials”), and the deployment and use of these emergency shelters. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)