Global Hand recommends The Sphere Project’s Minimum Standards, where applicable to clothing.

“The people affected by the disaster have sufficient blankets and clothing to provide protection from the climate and to ensure their dignity, safety and well-being.”

The following is designed to be read in light of Principles, and Cross-referential Issues.

Feedback? We would be grateful to hear from you if you have:

• Relevant resources
• Comments or suggestions or stories
• Stories of product unwisely/wisely placed.

Please email us at enquiries@globalhand.org

1.4 Clothing or footwear or accessories or fabric

Global Hand recommends The Sphere Project’s Minimum Standards, where applicable to clothing.

“The people affected by the disaster have sufficient clothing, blankets and bedding to ensure their dignity, safety and well-being.”
Non-food items standard 1: clothing and bedding, page 230 Sphere Handbook 2004 Revised Edition

Key indicators include:

• “People have access to a combination of blankets, bedding or sleeping mats to provide thermal comfort and to enable separate sleeping arrangements as required.”
• “Women, girls, men and boys have at least one full set of clothing in the correct size, appropriate to the culture, season and climate. Infants and children up to two years old also have a blanket of a minimum 100cmx70cm.”
• “Culturally appropriate burial cloth is available when needed.”

Guidance notes (these are specific points to consider when applying the standard and indicators in different situations) include the following:

“Appropriateness: clothing should be appropriate to climatic conditions and cultural practices, separately suitable for men, women, girls and boys, and sized according to age. Bedding materials where possible should reflect cultural practices and be sufficient in quantity to enable separate sleeping arrangements as required amongst the members of individual households.”

See the Sphere Project for further detail.

Member comments:
One member suggested that this document is not only a set of best practices for gifts-in-kind (GIK) groups, but also addresses non-GIK issues, over which Global Hand members may have little control.

For example, the burden to ensure recipients receive"clothing in the correct size"(1.4 Clothing or footwear…), rests with local groups over whom Global Hand members might have limited influence.