The Western Sahara conflict began about four decades ago, when the Polisario Front, considered by the UN as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi population in Western Sahara, claimed independence from Morocco in compliance with the right to self-determination. In November 2020, the ceasefire between the two parties to the conflict collapsed, generating uncertainty and concern among the Sahrawi refugees.
Today, about 180,000 Sahrawi refugees live in the refugee camps located in the Tindouf province in Algeria. While most of them fled to the neighboring country in 1975, the recent events have increased migratory flows after the beginning of the Western Sahara conflict. However, the pressure inside the five main refugee settlement sites has already reached its limit, and the new arrivals are likely to worsen the fragile situation. In addition, in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, all humanitarian activities risk being temporarily halted.
According to the UNHCR, since more than half of the Sahrawi refugees living in Algeria heavily rely on humanitarian aid, they have to be considered particularly vulnerable. In 2019, the World Food Programme found increasing malnutrition among the refugee population. Specifically, it stated that about 30% of Sahrawi refugees are food insecure, with acute malnutrition among children at 7.6%. Furthermore, the UN Agency noted that, due to the lack of fresh food and the impossibility of having a diversified diet, many refugees suffer from anemia.
As humanitarian actors report, during the last years, Moroccan authorities have drastically limited the activities carried out by both local and international NGOs in the Western Sahara territory, making the Sahrawi population feel frustrated and abandoned. Over the years, the Sahrawi refugees have waited for a homeland. It is time for the International Community to provide the Sahrawi refugees with hope and improve their living conditions.
By Simone M. Russo