In its 2023 Report, the World Food Programme (WFP) revealed serious dysfunctions in the management of humanitarian aid in the Tindouf camps in Algeria, including the illegal sale of the
UN agency’s products on the markets of neighbouring countries.
On Tuesday, in Geneva, the Sahrawi NGO Promotion of Economic and Social Development (PDES) alerted the international community to the alarming situation in these camps located in southwestern Algeria.
Human rights violations remain a major problem requiring immediate action.
Thousands of people have been living in these camps in precarious humanitarian conditions for nearly five decades, deprived of their fundamental rights. The security situation has also deteriorated
recently, with a resurgence of criminal acts and violence, further exacerbating the suffering of the inhabitants, said Fatima Ezzahrae Zouhairi, a PDES activist, during the 58th session of the Human Rights Council.
The lack of security and stability, coupled with the lack of security and judicial mechanisms by the host country, Algeria, exposes populations to increased risks and deprives them of any form of
protection or justice, the activist added.
She was speaking as part of the interaction with the annual report of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights.
Citing recent reports, the activist stressed that “the geographical isolation of the camps, far from any international monitoring, contributes to the aggravation of these violations.”
She specified that the most vulnerable populations, including women and children, are particularly exposed to physical and psychological violence as well as inhumane living conditions.
“We call on the international community to redouble its efforts to ensure full respect for human rights for the populations living in the Tindouf camps,” she said.
She stressed that these efforts must include the provision of unhindered humanitarian assistance, ensuring freedom of movement for residents, and establishing transparent monitoring
mechanisms to track these violations and end impunity.
The NGO also stressed the urgency of taking measures to put an end to these worrying violations, secure humanitarian corridors, and provide sustainable solutions for residents.
In this context, PDES called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to send a fact-finding mission to closely monitor the situation and provide transparent reports to protect the rights of those detained, in accordance with the Geneva Convention on Refugees.
MK/te/Sf/fss/as/APA