The Sphere Project has defined the basic equipment that a refugee person should be provided with. The equipment can be divided into what is needed per household and per person.

Each household:

Each household needs shelter for protection against climate and diseases, for privacy and social security, ideally including the possibility for subdivision and needs to be adaptable to different activities and social needs. It can be sufficient to provide plastic sheeting with which people can build shelters themselves. Access to a set of tools (spate, axe, hammer) enables individuals to repair and modify the shelter. According to climate there can be a necessity for mosquito nets, an oven or for a fire place for warmth.

Depending on the circumstances, a place for cooking can either be private or communal, each household has to have access to the amount of fuel needed for cooking. The most ecologically and economically sensible fuel should be chosen, and its efficient usage should be promoted. A cooking set including the most essential utensils consists of a big and a small pot with a lid, a bowl, a big spoon and a sharp knife, water and food storage vessels. Hygiene objects that can be shared include a comb and scissors.

Each person:

To prepare a place to sleep each person needs a blanket, isolation mat or heightened sleeping place.
One set of clothes is indispensable, a second one is useful for being able to wash the first.
For eating, a plate, a drinking vessel and a spoon suffice. For hygiene, soap (250g/month), a tooth brush and tooth paste (100g/month) are needed. Washing powder (200g/month) can be supplied or replaced by natural components like sand and ashes. To reach the goal of 2100/kj per person per day, basic ingredients like cereal, rice, beans, oil, salt and sugar and eventually nutrition bars are provided.

These basics can differ according to cultural habits. For example, after the earth quake in Iran 2003, the kitchen sets provided by local relief organizations included only one cooking pot and a additional tea pot.