Shelter and non-food items: core standards
Core Sphere standards for emergency shelter and non-food items: covered living space, privacy, hygiene items, cooking and lighting, and how to apply them.
Short answer
Sphere shelter and settlement standards ask for enough covered space for dignified living, with 3.5 square metres per person as an initial key indicator, plus privacy and safety. Non-food items cover clothing, bedding, hygiene items, cooking and eating utensils, stoves, fuel, lighting, and tools. Use the numbers as signals, adapt them to climate and culture, and record any shortfall and the actions to reduce harm.
Key points
- 3.5 square metres per person is a key indicator, not the whole standard.
- Privacy, safety and culture matter as much as floor area.
- NFI standards cover bedding, hygiene, cooking, fuel, lighting and tools.
- If you cannot meet a figure, state it and plan to reach it.
- Consult the community, including people caring for those with limited mobility.
What do Sphere shelter and NFI standards cover?
The Sphere handbook sets out minimum standards for humanitarian response. Its chapter on shelter, settlement and non-food items (NFIs) explains that minimum standards are qualitative, key indicators are signals that a standard has been met, and guidance notes explain how to apply them in different situations. The chapter applies to several scenarios: repair of damaged homes, accommodation with host families, mass shelter in existing buildings, and temporary planned or self-settled camps.
Remember the structure. The standard is the sentence about dignity and sufficiency. The number is only a signal.
What does the covered living space standard say?
Under the standard on covered living space, people should have enough covered space for dignified accommodation, where essential household activities can be done and livelihood support activities can be pursued as needed. The key indicators in the edition we reviewed include:
- an initial covered floor area of at least 3.5 square metres per person;
- safe separation and privacy between the sexes, between age groups and between separate families in a household where needed;
- space for essential household activities;
- accommodation of key livelihood activities where possible.
The guidance notes explain that climate matters. Hot and humid climates often need more than 3.5 square metres for air circulation, and cold climates need less internal volume to heat. In the first days after a disaster, less than 3.5 square metres may be appropriate to save life, but the covered area should reach 3.5 square metres as soon as possible. Any decision to give less should be highlighted, along with actions to reduce harm. Local sleeping arrangements and the accommodation of extended family should inform the area, and consultation should include vulnerable groups and people caring for those with limited mobility.
What are the main non-food item standards?
The Sphere chapter lists several NFI standards. Examples from the edition we opened:
| NFI area | What households should have access to |
|---|---|
| Clothing and bedding | Sufficient clothing, blankets and bedding for thermal comfort, dignity and health |
| Personal hygiene | Soap and items for hygiene and dignity; indicators include 250 g of bathing soap and 200 g of laundry soap per person per month, and sanitary materials for women and girls |
| Cooking and eating utensils | Basic utensils for each household |
| Stoves, fuel and lighting | Communal cooking facilities or a stove with fuel, and a safe means of lighting for personal security |
| Tools and equipment | Tools for shelter repair and livelihood needs |
These figures come from the Sphere edition we reviewed. Later editions may revise numbers and wording, so check the current Sphere handbook before you write indicators in a proposal.
How to apply the standards: five steps
- Assess before you buy. Use a rapid needs assessment and a shelter checklist. Ask what people already have, what was lost and what they prefer. See rapid needs assessment.
- Choose the modality. Distribute items, give cash or vouchers, or support repair and materials. Check that markets can supply the goods at fair prices.
- Design for safety and privacy. Provide ways to subdivide internal space. In mass shelters, group related families and use materials to screen personal space. Lighting and well-planned routes reduce risk, especially for women, girls and boys.
- Select recipients fairly. Write criteria and share them. See fair targeting.
- Monitor after distribution. Ask whether people use items, whether sizes and types fit, and whether anything is missing. Our guide to post-distribution monitoring shows how.
Myanmar context
Many displaced households move more than once and may carry little. Climate varies from hot and humid areas to cold highlands and monsoon rains. Shelter guidance for temporary or transitional solutions notes that response plans agreed with local authorities should ensure temporary shelters do not become default permanent housing. For Myanmar this means thinking early about land, host communities and next steps, and keeping items light and easy to carry where people may need to move again. The 2026 Myanmar Shelter, NFI and CCCM cluster strategy, published on ReliefWeb, describes a cluster of five hubs working to include local and civil society partners, so check with your nearest hub before you plan a kit.
Common mistakes
- Treating 3.5 square metres as the full standard.
- Buying kits without checking local markets and cultural needs.
- Forgetting sanitary materials and lighting.
- Ignoring the safety of women and girls in shelter design.
- Not recording the reason when a figure cannot be met.
How EMPO can help
EMPO is a reliable, Yangon-based training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. We teach the Sphere standards in English and Burmese, online or in person across Myanmar, and can tailor a session to your team. See our training services or contact us.
Sources
- Minimum Standards in Shelter, Settlement and Non-Food Items — Sphere handbook chapter (hosted by UNHCR)
- Myanmar HNRP 2026: Shelter-NFI-CCCM Cluster Strategy — ReliefWeb, 2025
Questions people ask
Is 3.5 square metres per person always required?
It is an initial minimum covered floor area. Sphere guidance says less may be appropriate in the first days to save lives, but the area should reach 3.5 square metres as soon as possible, and any lower figure should be highlighted with actions to reduce harm.
What is a non-food item?
Non-food items are household goods that are not food, such as clothing, blankets, soap, sanitary materials, cooking utensils, stoves, lamps and basic tools.
Should we give kits or cash for shelter items?
It depends on whether markets work and on what people prefer. Assess the market and ask the community. Our cash and voucher training covers this decision.