The war in Ukraine caused the largest refugee crisis in recent history. One year after the outbreak of the war in February 2022, and the general population still face vulnerabilities as another winter brought challenges for those who lost their homes to shelling.

Almost immediately following the war in March 2022, the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) with MSB – the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency announced the funding for 3,500 RHU units to respond to the emergency in Ukraine, through access from rescEU, an enhancement of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The RHUs have been installed in the Ukrainian cities of Rivne, Bucha and Kharkiv as temporary shelters, heating points, child-friendly spaces and reception centres. MSB conducted meticulous on-site winterising testing, ultimately applying technologies such as raised floors, wooden support structures and stone wood blankets from the exterior of the of the RHU, and covering with plastic sheeting to increase thermal comfort and load bearing capacity.