Spotlight Public Infrastructure

The SRC usually provides its Sister National Societies with public infrastructure/re-construction/rehabilitation support during post-crisis or -disaster recovery. It also supports construction-related efforts in the health and social spheres of long-term programmes.

Build-back-safer activities are based on thorough risk analyses that take account of the long-term operating and maintenance needs of the facilities supported; they are at the core of public infrastructure interventions.

In 2023, the SRC provided durable housing solutions for internally displaced people in the context of the prolonged crisis in Ukraine. As part of its long-term programmes, it worked with partners in Laos, Bangladesh and Armenia to rehabilitate community health infrastructure (health centres, community clinics and a nursing home) and provided water and sanitation systems in Laos and Sudan.

Key cumulative data 2023

In 2023, the SRC’s support in public infrastructure resulted in 29 (re)constructed or renovated health facilities in Bangladesh and Armenia, a number of durable housing solutions for internally displaced people in Ukraine, a gravity-fed water system constructed in Laos as well as a number of toilets constructed in several schools in Laos and Sudan.   

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The examples given provide snapshots of our work in the programme countries and highlight some of the year’s specific outputs.  

Bangladesh: Revitalised community clinics

Char Sajai is an island village located in the poorest union (Kodalkati) of the poorest district (Char Rajibpur) in Bangladesh. It is cut off from the mainland and the nearest health facility (about 16 km away) by rivers. The Government established Muhammad Ali Community Clinic on the island in 2013, but lack of manpower and maintenance hampered activities: health assistants offered services only two days a week at best, and there were no functional community or community support groups.

With the help of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, the community and community support groups were reconstituted and now meet regularly. Along with local government members, they were trained in community clinic management and community mobilisation. The walls, doors, windows, toilet and perimeter fence were renovated and a new tube well was installed. Ceiling fans, height charts, furniture and other equipment were provided. The clinic compound was raised, with local government co-financing. A community health care provider hired in January 2023 was trained for three months and is currently providing regular primary health care services. A family welfare assistant provides family planning services.

The community clinic is now fully operational and the number of patients increased from 38 in 2022 to 554 in 2023. Primary health care services are being provided six days a week and are regularly monitored and supervised by the Upazila Health and Family Welfare Department, enhancing quality. The clinic has a pool of functional community and community support groups, expanding community outreach. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has renovated seven other community clinics within the project area in the last two years.

Ukraine: Public infrastructure to serve as durable housing solutions for internally displaced people

Almost two years since fighting broke out throughout Ukraine, the SRC continues to provide the Ukrainian Red Cross Society with technical shelter expertise in western, central and south-eastern Ukraine. Humanitarian needs remain high, with approximately 3.7 million people displaced inside Ukraine and the need for long-term shelter solutions reaching critical levels throughout the country. Durable housing solutions represent a significant shift away from the provision of emergency and temporary support in collective shelters towards more sustainable housing options for displaced people.

The fleeing population needs immediate shelter but also require access to permanent housing solutions that afford them a stable and secure place to call home. Such solutions also support the recovery and resilience of communities affected over the long term. By investing in durable solutions, the SRC supported displaced populations to rebuild their lives with dignity and autonomy.

In Western Ukraine, the SRC is currently supporting four Ukrainian Red Cross durable housing solutions in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Oblasts: a hospital, a geriatric home, a sanatorium for the elderly and an administrative building transformed to accommodate displaced families.

Ukraine: The example of Yabluniv Hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast

The main objective is to enhance the living standards of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and regular patients at Yabluniv Hospital, a community-owned hospital that caters specifically for disabled and older individuals requiring specialised care and medical attention. Around 13 IDPs and 82 local residents currently reside on the premises and will benefit from the refurbishment.

The project focuses on the partial refurbishment of the hospital’s second and third floors. A dedicated engineer from the Ukrainian Red Cross shelter team, supported by the SRC shelter officer, is supervising the refurbishment of 16 showers and bathrooms that haven’t been renovated for decades. Some bathrooms have been made more accessible to persons with disabilities who have to access them unaided. The bathroom ventilation system is also being renovated, to improve air quality and prevent mould. The aim is to ensure the comfort and well-being of all residents at the hospital.

In December 2023, the refurbishment was 75% complete. The Ukrainian Red Cross and the SRC apply an integrated approach that takes account of the need not only to accommodate displaced families but also to provide better living conditions for the most vulnerable and long-term residents of the community.

Ukraine: The example of Kozivka Administrative Building in Ternopil Oblast

The precarious living conditions of IDP families in Ternopil Oblast prompted the village council of Kozivka to provide them with free accommodation. The office building selected for that purpose had to be fully refurbished and equipped before the families could move in. The Ukrainian Red Cross engineer in Ternopil worked with architects, engineers, contractors and local authorities to define the best layout for fully furnished apartments in the two-storey building. Everything was carefully supervised by the SRC shelter officer based in western Ukraine.

The building was totally redesigned to provide rooms for families of two or three people, with private bathrooms and shared kitchens; some rooms on the ground floor are wheelchair accessible. The building was very dilapidated and the priority was therefore to renovate the electrical, sewage and heating systems. A generator was provided by the village council, as a backup during blackouts. All work inside the building was paid for by the Red Cross; external work on system connections, insulation and access points was covered by the village council. The premises are designated for long-term stays of at least three years, in line with the memorandum of understanding between the Red Cross and the village council, and for families and individuals who require stable housing solutions.

Larger families can connect two rooms. About 16 single-parent families with children will eventually benefit; they are in the process of being identified. A nearby farm offers job opportunities or the possibility for the future residents to grow their own food. In December 2023, the refurbishment was 99% complete; the only outstanding item was the procurement of furniture by the Ukrainian Red Cross.

In Ukraine, the SRC will support recovery efforts over the long run. Depending on its Sister National Society’s plans, this may include continued reconstruction/retrofitting of (public) infrastructure. The planned expansion of durable housing to central Ukraine will be informed by the lessons learnt in 2023 in western Ukraine.

The SRC plans to continue incorporating infrastructure measures into its long-term community health and resilience programmes.

Generally, the SRC will continue to advocate adequate access to health and social services for disaster- or crisis-affected people and communities; it stands ready, where needed, to help provide the necessary infrastructure. When planning such projects, the SRC will focus its efforts on the people concerned, to promote participation, empowerment and social inclusion. It will also focus on awareness of risks and rights, and emphasise the long-term operation and maintenance of any infrastructure provided.