DG ECHO Thematic Policy Document – Shelter and Settlements

These guidelines build on best practice in the sector, applying the criteria for European Commission humanitarian shelter & settlement funding for the most efficient and effective humanitarian responses.

They promote in particular two key critical themes:

•   assistance should be people-centred, ensuring that the interests and protection of beneficiaries are at the centre of operations, that assistance is accountable to them, and that it is tailored to the differentiated needs of women, girls, boys and men. This involves asserting the primacy of affected populations in decision-making and implementation, and acknowledging the wide range of personal, family and community contexts which inform the S&S preferences and priorities, and the varied paces and paths taken by communities through crises and into recovery;

•   assistance should be supportive, focusing primarily on enabling and assisting household self-recovery and strengthening systems towards more sustainable outcomes and processes.

These themes should strengthen accountability to affected populations and maximise opportunities to contribute to a lasting post-emergency recovery.