back to article UN inflicts 10,000 flat pack IKEA shelters on Iraq - WITHOUT TOOLS

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has placed an order for 10,000 flat-pack IKEA refugee shelters. Following an 18 month trial in Ethiopia and Iraq, the 10,000 Better Shelter units are set to be deployed to Iraq, where more than 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes since January 2014, mostly fleeing …

  1. James 51

    Sounds like it would make ideal student housing too.

    Or a 'man cave' in the garden. Hmm wonder how much they retail for.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682416/a-new-ingeniously-designed-shelter-for-refugees-made-by-ikea

      "The Ikea Foundation (which has invested approximately 3.4 million euros in the project so far) and UNHCR will beta test the shelters in Ethiopia next month, then iterate to a final design for mass production. They currently cost $10,000 to make, but they’re hoping to get that price down to less than $1,000 when they’re in mass production. The tents cost half that, but they hope to have the cost even out, given the long life of the shelters."

      A new article in Reuters says $1,150.

      1. DrXym

        The pics make it look like a really good solution. I could see it being popular for a range of uses, not just emergency sheltering - anywhere you'd want a semi permanent building put up to house people or stuff. I wonder how it stands up to wind, rain and the cold though.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Up

        $1,150?

        $1,150 is a bargain. I'll have two and I'm not taking the piss. I was paying that for two weeks rent after the last big storm blew through here and damaged my house. You couldn't even hire a caravan or a portacabin for love nor money. I could keep two of these flat-packed in the garage ready for the next big storm.

    2. phuzz Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      It would make sense to sell these to us non-refugees, at a hefty markup, to help reduce the cost of the ones going to more deserving types.

      It looks just big enough to be used as a makeshift garage.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Thumb Up

        It would make sense to sell these to us non-refugees, at a hefty markup, to help reduce the cost of the ones going to more deserving types.

        I'd still buy one if it was double the price. The extra profit could pay for one for refugee use. My last temporary accommodation rent bill was around $12k so everyone's a winner.

      2. David Pollard

        Buy One Send One Free

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Sounds like it would make ideal student housing too."

      Looks too low quality for student housing. Ideal for council housing though: You want the tax payer to subsidise your life? Here, have a tin hut....

      1. Crazy Operations Guy

        "Looks too low quality for student housing."

        What kind of fancy school did you go to? This would have been a luxury dorm for my class. This is what happens when you go to a historic school and the dorms are classified as 'historic buildings' by the city council... Or maybe because they poured all the tuition into their sports teams.

      2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
        FAIL

        "Ideal for council housing though: You want the tax payer to subsidise your life?"

        So you think all council house tenants are on the dole? You need to get out more and meet some real people.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          "So you think all council house tenants are on the dole?"

          Nope, but they ARE all being subsidised by the tax payer. Since when has council housing charged commercially normal rent levels?

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            "Since when has council housing charged commercially normal rent levels?"

            It's "social" housing which is, on the whole, now mortgage free. Councils are not supposed to make a profit from renting out social housing but have, for a few years now, been under an obligation to run their social housing on a break-even basis rather than at a loss so no, I'd say it's not subsidised. Neither are the tenants subsidising the lifestyle of the landlords. There is an argument that owner occupiers are subsidised more than social renting thanks to tax breaks and mortgage benefits if becoming unemployed.

            On the other hand, a quick google brings up an article by Tim Worstal who manages to turn this break-even process into a £6.6b "cost" in "lost revenue", possibly as much as £660b in "lost" money tied up in capital housing stock.

    4. Crazy Operations Guy

      It'd make an excellent camping shelter. At 4 hours to assemble, it would be much quicker than a standard nylon / polyester tent...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Wait for it!!

    I predict one will be on sale as a home in London by the summer - asking price?? ~£150,000

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Wait for it!!

      Better than a £145,000 cardboard box

    2. Bloakey1

      Re: Wait for it!!

      How dare you sir. A place like that would devalue my house in Wimbledon.

      Send them all to Milton Keynes, they would not look amiss at all.

  3. MrDamage Silver badge
    Joke

    And with the leftover pieces

    They can make a nice 4 story apartment block.

  4. Alister

    Place Tab "A" in Slot "B"

    fold at line "C"

  5. Martin
    Happy

    Not quite what I thought it meant.

    I imagined loads of IKEA flat-pack shelters, with all the bits except the hexagonal key you need to put them together.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not quite what I thought it meant.

      Yes, predictably stupid misleading headline for what is actually quite a cool story

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not quite what I thought it meant.

      Yes , it's called clickbait - this site is the buzzfeed of IT journalism.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

        1. d3vy

          Re: Not quite what I thought it meant.

          Bill gates went to the toilet this weekend, what he did next will amaze you!

          Click to read more.

  6. thomas k.

    USB outlet, too!

    from the fastcoexist article:

    "Each flat-packed kit will come with a single solar panel that powers a built-in light and a USB outlet."

    Given the growing use of cell phones in the developing world, this is a pretty useful feature. Enabling refugees to charge their phones allows them to stay in contact with friends and relatives, as well keeping abreast of events in the outside world (if the camps provide wifi).

  7. MatsSvensson

    FUCK YOU theregister!

    ...just kidding.

    Headlines are fun!

  8. John Seto

    here's the design

    http://inhabitat.com/ikeas-solar-powered-flat-pack-refugee-shelters-offer-easily-deployable-emergency-housing/ikea-refugee-shelter2/

  9. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Nice one IKEA

    Really good idea.

    The only thing that could go wrong now is if they give it one of their silly names, like BØNK Shelter, or so ;-)

    1. hplasm
      Happy

      Re: Nice one IKEA

      SHELTUUR

      1. Stoneshop

        Re: Nice one IKEA

        PRÖTÄCT

  10. Stoneshop
    Go

    First picture on the instruction leaflet

    The ubiquitous IKEA cartoon character running away from falling bombs, a storm and a sword-wielding IS warrior.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If they sold just the structure ( ie: no solar panels ) it would make a very decent shed.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Just buy it with the panels. The solar panels don't jack up the price too much if it's in the $1,000-$1,200 range. You get solar lighting and a USB charger.

    2. Stoneshop

      "On top of the shade net is solar panel laminated on a thin plastic film, taking away the bulky panels used traditionally."

      You can leave it off (it won't be of any use in Britain anyway) and donate it to the UNHCR as spare.

  12. Spaceman Spiff

    I have a deal!

    Have I got a deal on hex keys! Cheaper by the dozen! :-)

  13. southen bastard

    step one

    next the flat pac loo and fresh water plant, then they would never go home

  14. Bart Fantastic

    I wonder

    Who gets the bill for the flat pack homes?

    I also wonder who is responsible for the flat pack assembly?

    HM

  15. gnasher729 Silver badge

    Keter makes garden sheds quite similar to this, I'd say a bit smaller and cheaper than this. Not without tools, I think it came with one Allan key.

    If they manage to make these cheap enough, they can go into business selling them, with each one sold financing another one to help people in need. If that's too expensive, a plan where you buy one, pay 50% on top as a tax-deductible donation, and for every two UK buyers someone in need gets one for free.

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