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ALGERIA
SAHRAWI REFUGEES

Since 1975, Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, has been claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front. Between 1975 and 1976, to escape the conflict, a large part of the population has fled to southwest Algeria.
Since the 1991 ceasefire, the UN has tried unsuccessfully to hold a referendum on self-determination, but Western Sahara remains a "territory without administration".

For more than 40 years, Sahrawi refugees - estimated by UNHCR at 175,000 people - have been living in isolated camps in the middle of the Sahara desert, subjected to extreme climatic conditions, without natural resources and entirely dependent on humanitarian aid.
Since 2001, TGH has supported this population with emergency interventions or sustainable solutions, and has been active in various areas:

Logistics:
The camps are supplied with aid by trucks from Algiers: a 2,000 km journey on roads that severely challenge the vehicles.
Since 2002, TGH has been in charge of the Rabouni central mechanical workshop, which maintains and services generators and about sixty trucks, seventeen ambulances and many other vehicles that transport food and sanitary equipment.

Health:
TGH participates in the local health system by supporting infrastructure and ancillary services (laboratories and radiology services), and conducts regular HIV awareness and prevention campaigns.

Hygiene:
Lack of hygiene is a source of many health problems, and also affects individuals’ dignity. TGH produces bleach and soap on site, which are distributed to institutions (schools and hospitals) and camps, and also provides hygiene kits for women and young girls.

Disability:
People with disabilities are particularly vulnerable in refugee camps. TGH improves specialised centres and strengthens the management capacities of the Sahrawi Ministry of Social Welfare and the Advancement of Women.
TGH has also set up a personalised medical and social support service at home to maintain - or even improve - the physical condition of people with a motor-cerebral disability.

Education:
In 2015 and 2016, floods caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. TGH participated with other NGOs in a coordinated response to rebuild homes, schools and health centres.
TGH focused on the development of health facilities in schools, since poor hygiene, a source of disease, impacts absenteeism and therefore school failure. Gender sensitivity is also essential for girls' schooling: adapted latrines, equipped with locks, clearly separated from boys ones, and adapted to their specific needs, prevent them from having to return home (and possibly not to school).

Food Security and Livelihoods:
In a context of total lack of natural resources, it is necessary to invent innovative approaches to both food-related issues and economic activity, keeping in mind the objective of training populations so that they can become autonomous in the management of the structures implemented.
TGH has developed different programmes to meet this challenge: bakery, animal farming, family gardens, mechanical workshop…
In 2018, in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), TGH has built a fish farm that will contribute to food diversification with more animals’ proteins, and to boost local activity. Construction should be completed in early 2019, and the start of fish farming activities will be accompanied by technical training, which will eventually enable the local staff to fully take over the management of the farm.

CURRENT PROGRAMMES

Improve the school environment in the Sahrawi refugee camps in the Tindouf Region

Education and protection
  • Funding: UNICEF
  • Bénéficiaries: 716 people
  • Duration: 14 months - From 01/01/2020 to 02/28/2021
  • Budget: $539,405

Sahrawi refugees living in five camps in the Tindouf region of Algeria almost exclusively rely on humanitarian aid. Moreover, the climatic conditions are extremely harsh in the region (intense heat, drought, wind, rain, flooding, etc.).

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Pilot project for tilapia fish farming in Sahrawi refugee camps, Tindouf Region

Food security and livelihood
  • Funding: World Foof Programme (WFP)
  • Bénéficiaries: 281 people
  • Duration: 12 months - From 09/01/2019 to 08/31/2020
  • Budget: $337,204

The fish farm of N Khaila was built under previous funding from the World Food Programme (WFP) within the "Houcine Tameuk" agricultural cluster where activities contributing to the resilience of Sahrawi refugees in the Tindouf Region of Algeria are implemented.

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Support for food diversification and nutrition in Sahrawi refugee camps

Food security and livelihood
  • Funding: Ministère des affaires étrangères
  • Bénéficiaries: 15 people
  • Duration: 11 months - From 11/01/2019 to 09/30/2020
  • Budget: €100,000

This project is part of a wider programme implemented by TGH for more than a year in the food security and livelihoods sector. With the financial support of the World Food Programme (WFP), the association has supported the construction of a fish farm in a Sahrawi refugee camp, which is now operational.

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COMPLETED PROGRAMMES

January 2019 / December 2019

Assistance to the most vulnerable groups of Sahrawi refugees

The TGH programme for the year 2019 - in collaboration with UNHCR and the Lord Michelham of Hellingly Foundation - follows on from previous annual programmes in the 5 Sahrawi refugee camps in the Tindouf Region. The beneficiary population is made up of refugees from Western Sahara.

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December 2018 / December 2019

Improving the school environment for all Sahrawi refugee camps

This project aims to rehabilitate the schools that have been affected by severe weather and to improve teaching and learning conditions and the number of school facilities in the Sahrawi refugee camps.

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January 2018 / December 2018

Tilapias fish farming pilot project in Sahrawi refugee camps, Tindouf Region

The programme provides for the construction and operation of a pilot fish farm in the wilaya of Smara in order to contribute to the development of local production of diversified food resources in Sahrawi refugee camps.

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January 2018 / December 2018

Assistance to the most vulnerable groups of Sahrawi refugees in the Tindouf Region

This programme aims to improve access to humanitarian assistance for 90,000 Sahrawi refugees living in 5 camps in the Tindouf Region, in south-western Algeria, by meeting their basic needs.

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July 2017 / January 2018

Supporting the rehabilitation of educational facilities and sanitation systems / latrines

Rehabilitation and reconstruction of the educational facilities affected by adverse weather conditions, taking into account the needs in terms of water, hygiene and sanitation (latrines and sanitation in schools).

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January 2017 / December 2017

Assistance to the most vulnerable groups of Sahrawi refugees living in the Tindouf area

Improving access to humanitarian assistance for 90,000 Sahrawi refugees living in five camps in the Tindouf area in south-western Algeria.

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March 2016 / August 2017

Assistance to vulnerable Sahrawi refugees living in the camps South of Tindouf

This program ensures the continuity of the management of the mechanical workshop set up by TGH in 2015, maintains the assistance provided to persons with disabilities, and continues to ensure the security management for aid workers, in order to facilitate their daily activities.

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February 2016 / August 2016

Rehabilitation and reconstruction of the educational and health facilities

This second phase after the torrential rains that hit the 5 camps located in Tindouf area in Octobre 2015, focused on the reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of 10 health and educational facilities to allow people to regain proper access to these services.

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January 2016 / December 2016

Assistance to the most vulnerable groups of Sahrawi refugees living in the Tindouf area

Improving access to humanitarian assistance for 90,000 Sahrawi refugees living in five camps in the Tindouf area in south-western Algeria.

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November 2015 / September 2016

Emergency response and reconstruction for the Saharawi populations affected by the torrential rains

Following the floods that affected Saharawi refugee camps, this first aid project aims to take part in the reconstruction of homes and provide a food supplement to the population.

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May 2014 / April 2015

Assistance programme to vulnerable Saharawi refugees living in the camps south of Tindouf

This programme aims to maintain efficient logistics means and target in priority the most vulnerable beneficiaries (including disabled people). It is divided into three areas of intervention .

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January 2014 / December 2014

Support to most vulnerable groups of Saharawi refugees

This action aims to improve access for a humanitarian assistance addressing the basic needs of Saharawi refugees living in camps in the Tindouf area. The different programme components are: mechanical workshop, disability, health, hygiene and management of the UNHCR bases of Weather Haven and Dakhla.

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January 2013 / December 2013

Support to Saharawi refugees

This is a prolongation of the UNHCR-sponsored programme launched in 2001. All 2010 programmes will continue through 2011 and 2012.

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May 2013 / April 2014

Assistance programme to disabled people in Saharawi refugee camps

This project is the continuation of TGH’s interventions in Saharawi refugee camps south of Tindouf (Aousserd, El Ayoun, Dakhla, Smara and Boujdour camps).

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January 2011 / February 2012

Improvement of the hygiene conditions of women and disabled people

An extension of the previous program, this project aims to improve the conditions of hygiene of Saharawi refugees. The main targets are women and disabled people living in Aoussert, El Aioun, Dakhla, Smara and 27 Février refugee camps, south of Tindouf in Algeria.

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January 2011 / December 2011

Support to Saharawi refugees

This is a prolongation of the UNHCR-sponsored programme launched in 2001. All 2010 programmes will continue through 2011.

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October 2010 / March 2011

Support to World Food Programme Schemes in Saharawi Refugee Camps

TGH partners with the WFP, in the framework of its food distribution to Sahawari populations, to build and rehabilitate 25 storage spaces for WFP's use.

January 2009 / December 2009

Assistance to Saharawi Refugees

This is a prolongation of the UNHCR-sponsored programme launched in 2001. All 2008 programmes will continue through 2009, with an intensification of medical activities (supply of radiology products and equipment), and the creation of family-run vegetable plots in Daklha.

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November 2008 / August 2009

Distribution of hygiene kits to Sahawari Women, Disabled or Elderly people

Phase II of previous programme dedicated to young Saharawi women. We plan to help young Saharawi women benefit from improved hygiene by distributing 190,000 hygiene kits containing soap, shampoo, sanitary towels, washing powder, etc.

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February 2008 / October 2009

Improve the Living Conditions and Restore Basic Livelihoods of Disabled People

This project is the continuation of our previous programmes for elderly or disabled Saharawis living in refugee camps. It aims to improve the beneficiaries' nutritional situation and provide income-generating activities through the following actions.

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September 2007 / September 2008

Purchase and distribution of hygiene kits for Saharawi women in the refugee camps

Phase II of previous programme dedicated to young Saharawi women. We plan to help young Saharawi women benefit from improved hygiene by distributing 190,000 hygiene kits containing soap, shampoo and sanitary towels.

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January 2008 / December 2008

Assistance to Saharawi Refugees

This is a prolongation of the UNHCR-sponsored programme, first launched in 2001. All programmes performed in 2007 will continue through 2008, with an intensification of medical activities (supply of radiology products and equipment).

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February 2007 / November 2007

Support to Elderly & Disabled People in Saharawi Refugee Camps

After three decades living in refugee camps, extremely precarious conditions, lack of medical care and absence of understanding about disability, all the disabled people in the camps are suffering a situation of heightened distress.

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September 2006 / September 2007

Purchase and distribution of hygiene kits for Saharawi women in the refugee camps

Phase II of previous programme dedicated to young Saharawi women. We plan to help young Saharawi women benefit from improved hygiene by distributing 190,000 hygiene kits containing soap, shampoo and sanitary towels.

Read more...

April 2006 / January 2007

Rehabilitation of Health Structures Damaged by the February 2006 Floods

In February 2006, southwest Algeria was the victim of enormous flooding and torrential rains hit the refugee camps. The day after the disaster, it was estimated that 50% of the dwellings were destroyed and 25% were on the verge of collapse leavingsome 55,000 people without shelter.

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October 2005 / September 2006

Support to Elderly & Disabled People in Saharawi Refugee

This distribution program was designed to improve the living conditions of disabled persons and elderly people in the refugee camps. Because of their age or disability, some people cannot travel to special care centres so Triangle supplies crutches, ergonomic crockery, bedding and other essential items to them directly.

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November 2005 / July 2006

Purchase & Distribution of Hygiene Kits for Saharawi Women in Refugee Camps

To reduce the risk of disease and help young Saharawi women benefit from improved hygiene, Triangle distributed 66,000 hygiene kits (containing soap, shampoo and sanitary towels).

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March 2006 / April 2006

EMERGENCY RELIEF
After the February 2006 floods

In February 2006, southwest Algeria was the victim of enormous flooding and torrential rains hit the refugee camps. The day after the disaster, it was estimated that 50% of the dwellings were destroyed and 25% were on the verge of collapse leaving some 55,000 people without shelter.

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April 2004 / December 2004

Support to Care Structures for Disabled Peoples

Supplementing the activities managed in the UNHCR-financed programme, Triangle supported various care structures for disabled people thanks to a grant from the Lord Michelham Foundation.

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December 2002 / January 2004

Creation of a Bakery

The aim of this project was to provide a group of disabled adults with a permanent activity to empower them and enable integration in the Sawary community.

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