Attachments
Global Shelter Cluster (GSC)
Co-led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the GSC is a platform of shelter and settlement partners. Its mission is to support crisis-affected people to live in safe, dignified and appropriate shelter and settlements. The GSC and country Shelter Clusters work collectively with national response actors to support people affected by natural disasters and conflict with timely, effective and predictable shelter and settlement responses.
Since the Cluster Approach was rolled out in 2006 the GSC has worked with an ever-growing range of partners. There is growing recognition that shelter and settlement responses not only provide physical dwellings but also stable foundations to rebuild lives and support a range of multi-sectoral outcomes.
Building on its commitment to partnership, the GSC – under the guidance of its Strategic Advisory Group and the Global Shelter Cluster lead agencies – has formulated its new strategy collaboratively with many other actors. This strategy has been informed by findings from a formal evaluation of the 2013-2017 strategy.
ADAPTING TO NEW REALITIES
Conceptual, programmatic, funding and technological developments have brought about profound changes in the humanitarian context in which the GSC operates.
At a time of grave constraints on humanitarian financing the GSC recognises the need for novel approaches which appropriately use cash, provide robust evidence of need and impact, promote participation and inclusion and forge deep and meaningful collaboration with donors, national and local governments, the private sector and civil society.
The ever-mounting impacts of urbanisation and climate change have fundamentally shifted operational realities. Working in complex urban environments subject to natural disasters and conflict requires humanitarians to become as familiar with issues around chronic vulnerability as they are with modalities of emergency response. There is growing need to adopt the best development approaches and synchronise them with humanitarian endeavours in order to reduce risk and jointly work toward sustainable systems with area-based results.