When nature strikes: Why portable restrooms are a humanitarian essential

Natural disasters have always left destruction in their wake – shattered homes, broken roads, and displaced families. But beyond these visible scars lies another, often overlooked crisis: the sudden collapse of sanitation infrastructure.

In the aftermath of earthquakes, floods, typhoons, and hurricanes, access to clean restrooms becomes a matter of survival, not just comfort. Too often, this basic human right is forgotten in the rush to provide food and shelter.

Natural disasters are more and more common nowadays 

Natural disasters affect more than the landscape – they destroy water systems, sewage lines, and power supplies, making traditional restrooms unusable or inaccessible.

• In 2023 alone, the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) recorded 387 major disasters worldwide, affecting over 95 million people.
• According to the World Health Organization, after a major disaster:
  • 60–80% of people in affected areas lose access to safe sanitation.
  • Outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and diarrhea can begin within 72 hours without proper hygiene facilities.

When people are forced to relieve themselves in open fields, floodwaters, or makeshift containers, diseases spread fast – particularly among children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

The 2022 floods left millions dead and missing, and homes were swept away.

Pakistan floods (2022)

• Affected population: 33 million
• Up to 10 million people lost access to safe restrooms.
• Water sources were contaminated, increasing the risk of diarrheal diseases and hepatitis.
• Relief organizations struggled to reach remote villages due to destroyed roads, and restrooms were not included in the first wave of emergency aid.

“People were drinking floodwater, and there was nowhere to go. We had to wait until dark to find a place in the fields.”
— A resident of Sindh Province, Pakistan

Haiti earthquake (2021)

• Magnitude: 7.2
• More than 500,000 people were displaced.
• Over 50% of temporary shelters lacked restroom facilities.
• Sanitation breakdown contributed to a resurgence of cholera in some camps.

The portable restroom is the best way to help citizens have a better condition in the most deprived conditions

People instinctively think of food, shelter, and water during a disaster. But access to restrooms is just as important – for health, safety, and human privacy.

Here’s why:

• Disease prevention: without restrooms, communities face higher risks of infectious disease outbreaks.
• Privacy: women, girls, and the elderly are disproportionately affected when private sanitation is not available.
• Psychological safety: in stressful conditions, having a clean and secure place to relieve oneself can reduce trauma.

In many regions, electricity outages also mean no lights, no water pumps, no flushing restrooms, and no way to dispose of waste safely.

When infrastructure breaks down, access to clean water and sewer systems can disappear within hours. Portable restrooms offer a safe, enclosed space for sanitation that can be deployed quickly, even in remote or heavily damaged areas.

Not all portable restrooms are created equal – especially when nature is at its most violent. Gigone’s Mobile Oasis units are engineered with wind resistance in mind:

• The Flare Mobile Oasis A-1P, ideal for high-risk zones, can withstand wind speeds of up to 100 mph.
• The Pearl Mobile Oasis B-1P handles winds up to 70 mph.
• The Eco Mobile Oasis C-1P, a lightweight option for warmer climates, withstand winds up to 50 mph.

This structural resilience ensures that our units remain safe, functional, and secure even in extreme weather conditions.

This product provides high versatility for all conditions and terrain

Portable restrooms provide a fast, flexible, and hygienic solution for emergencies. They can be adapted to different environments – urban ruins, flood zones, remote villages, or mountainous camps.

Key features of portable restrooms:

• Self-contained units with sealed waste tanks.
• No need for a connection to water or sewage systems.
• Solar-powered lighting or motion-sensor LEDs.
• Ventilation systems to reduce odor.
• Slip-resistant flooring and a self-watering system.

One cluster of 10 portable restrooms can serve 200–250 people per day, significantly improving health outcomes and community morale.

We believe in structure and engineering to provide users with the best value.

Major humanitarian organizations are increasingly making portable restrooms a standard part of their operations.

• UNICEF: deployed thousands of emergency latrines and portable restrooms across Pakistan and Mozambique during floods.
• Red Cross/Red Crescent: use portable sanitation units in refugee camps and disaster zones.
• Doctors Without Borders: integrates portable restroom systems with field hospitals in conflict and disaster settings.

These mobile restrooms help not just during the first response but also during longer-term recovery, when rebuilding water infrastructure may take months or years.

The interior of the portable restroom

Despite their proven benefits, portable restrooms are still under-prioritized in many disaster response plans.

What can governments, NGOs, and communities do?

1. Include portable restrooms in national emergency stockpiles, alongside tents and water filters.
2. Train local response teams in rapid restroom deployment and waste management.
3. Educate the public about hygiene needs and sanitation risks after disasters.
4. Support manufacturers to design more affordable, scalable portable restroom units for developing regions.

When natural disasters strike, the world responds with food, blankets, and medicine. But if we forget restrooms, we risk prolonging suffering, spreading disease, and stripping people of privacy.

Portable restrooms are not a luxury. They are a vital solution that protects health and privacy – something every community deserves access to, especially when facing the unpredictable force of nature.

“Among the mud, the chaos, and the darkness – a clean, safe restroom can be the first symbol of recovery.”

Let us build a future where no one has to choose between their health and their privacy, even in the worst of times.