The international humanitarian organization Refuge Relief has deployed a solution from social enterprise Lida to house victims displaced after the closure of unregulated labor camps in a Southeast Asian country.

Over 600 flat-packed modular shelters made from refurbished shipping containers have been erected at a temporary settlement established near the previous campsites. The shelters will provide secure protected housing as those displaced work with authorities and aid groups on long-term resettlement plans.

The campsites had grown up informally over recent years as economic migrants seeking work converged in the area, many attracted by the prospect of employment in adjacent agriculture, construction and manufacturing industries. However, the makeshift camps lacked any proper infrastructure or oversight and residents lived in inadequate temporary structures.

Following pressure from labor rights groups concerned about widespread exploitation and poor living conditions, the government decided to close the camps and relocate the residents. This left several thousand people displaced with no means of shelter or support.

“When the camps were shut down overnight with no plan for where people were supposed to go, it triggered an urgent humanitarian crisis,” said Maria Sanchez, director of Refuge Relief’s local operations. “Families were scattered, vulnerable to all kinds of risks on the streets. We had to act fast to prevent a much worse situation from unfolding.”

Working closely with local authorities and migrant community leaders, Refuge Relief established a controlled settlement site and began distributing shelter and basic provisions with funding support from several international donors. But the need for secure long-term housing was an immediate challenge that required a creative solution.

That’s where social enterprise Lida Group came in. Known for its innovative flat-pack shelters made from repurposed shipping containers, Lida was able to rapidly deploy over 600 of its resilient modular homes to the temporary settlement.

“Lida designs its shelters to be easily constructed by non-experts using simple tools in just a matter of hours rather than the days or weeks a traditional building would take,” said Ziwen Mu, CEO of Lida Group. “This speed and accessibility was crucial in the emergency context where displaced families had no other housing option.”

Lida’s flat-packed shelters are constructed from retired 20-foot and 40-foot steel shipping containers that have been repurposed, reinforced and equipped with insulated paneling, doors, windows and a durable roof. The containers maintain their structural integrity but are transformed into safe, watertight living quarters.

A unique feature of Lida’s system is that the shelters can be flat-packed down to about a tenth of their assembled size for compact transportation and storage. This allowed large numbers to be delivered quickly by truck from Lida’s local manufacturing facilities.

Onsite at the resettlement camp, volunteer construction teams trained by Lida were able to rapidly assemble over 600 shelters within just two weeks using basic powered tools. Each shelter provided around 30-40 square meters of enclosed living space – a significant step up from the temporary tents and sheds many displaced families had been using.

“The speed at which these shelters went up was nothing short of incredible,” said Sanchez. “To go from having nearly 3,000 vulnerable people with almost no shelter one day, to having a small village of secure container homes just two weeks later, really shows the potential of these solutions in emergencies.”

While serving as protected temporary housing, the shelters offer residents security, privacy and space to regain a sense of normalcy as they work with Refuge Relief and officials on sustainable long-term plans. Options under discussion include potential relocation to new economic development zones where affordable housing and jobs are being established.

Some families may choose to return to their home countries with financial assistance. Others may be placed into skills training programs to better equip them for formal work. The modular shelters will remain in use as long as needed while permanent housing solutions are implemented.

Designed to last 5-10 years without significant maintenance, the shelters also provide a platform for broader community development efforts. Solar panels are powering lighting, WiFi hotspots and charging stations within the settlement. Common buildings house a medical clinic, classrooms and community kitchen.

Productive activities like a community garden and craft workshops provide structure as livelihoods recover. A childcare center has also been established to support families. Sanitation facilities including showers, toilets and laundries have been built at regular intervals through the settlement.

Lida’s shelters themselves can also evolve over time to suit changing needs. Internal walls allow dividing larger shelters as families grow or downsize. Additional insulated panels boost energy efficiency in the local climate. Mezanine levels expand usable floor space. When no longer needed at the resettlement site, the shelters can potentially be relocated for reuse in other communities.

“A key principle of our work is empowering people to regain control over their own lives following crisis or disaster,” said Sanchez. “These shelters play a vital role by establishing safe, dignified living conditions so that those displaced can begin rebuilding stable futures in a way that respects their choices and agency.”

While challenges remain in coordinating long-term plans for thousands of vulnerable people, the rapid deployment of temporary protected housing has successfully stabilized an urgent situation. Container shelter technology is proving its versatility and potential for humanitarian response at global scale.

“Our goal in developing this system has always been to provide resilience, safety and opportunity through affordable shelter solutions that uphold people’s basic rights, especially in times of need” said Mu. “To see that vision come to life through this project, assisting displaced families with Refuge Relief, has been tremendously motivating for Lida’s whole team.”

As discussions continue on sustainable community-led development at the resettlement site and beyond, modular container shelters appear well-placed to support diverse transitory and permanent housing requirements through innovative design. Their adaptability will hopefully help people progress towards dignified long-term solutions at their own pace, guided by compassion.

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