Algeria (Sahrawi refugees)

Context

Since 1975, Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, has been claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front. Between 1975 and 1976, much of the population fled to south-west Algeria to escape the conflict. Since the 1991 ceasefire, the UN has tried unsuccessfully to organise a referendum on self-determination, but Western Sahara remains a “territory without administration”. On 13 November 2020, a group of Sahrawis demonstrated at the Guerguerat border crossing in the far south of Western Sahara to demand the organisation of a referendum. The demonstration led to a military intervention by Moroccan forces. The Polisario Front described the intervention as a violation of the ceasefire and declared a “state of war”.

For more than 40 years, Sahrawi refugees – estimated at 173,600 by the UNHCR – have been living in 5 camps (Boujdour, Aousserd, Samara, Layoune, Dakhla) in the Tindouf region. They are isolated in the Sahara, exposed to extreme climatic conditions, with no natural resources and totally dependent on humanitarian aid.

TGH in Algeria

Since 2001, TGH has been supporting the Saharawi people through emergency interventions to improve their living conditions and through the implementation of sustainable solutions that build local resilience. This intervention is divided into several areas of action:
Health: Supporting local health systems with technical and material assistance to hospitals and health centres, and regular HIV awareness and prevention campaigns.
Hygiene: Support for the operation of two soap production workshops and one bleach production unit for distribution to health facilities, schools, hospitals and individuals.
Disability: Supporting the Centres d’Education Spécialisés (CES) and building the capacity of the Saharawi Ministry of Social Affairs and the Advancement of Women to deal with psychosocial and mental health issues. Establishing a team of home care workers to support the most vulnerable people with disabilities.
Education: Participation in efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate schools and a CES following major floods in 2015 and 2016.
Food security and livelihoods: building and maintaining a fish farm that contributes to food diversification and the creation of sustainable jobs.