European Union Continues its Support to Sahrawi Refugees in Algeria

ALGIERS – The European Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting thousands of refugees living in five Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria with a US$4.6 million (€4 million) contribution to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). This is in addition to a US$6.8 million (€5.5 million) contribution made last year.

“Most Sahrawi refugees depend on assistance from the international community,” said WFP Representative and Country Director in Algeria Romain Sirois. “We’re grateful for the generous contribution from the European Commission which has supported our work in the Sahrawi refugee camps over the past 15 years.”

This latest contribution from the European Commission Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO) will help cover the basic food needs of the most food insecure Sahrawi refugees most food insecure Sahrawi refugees; some 77 percent of the refugee camp population. WFP provides each refugee with a monthly food ration that includes cereals (rice, barley and wheat flour), pulses, vegetable oil, sugar and fortified blended foods.

For more than 40 years, the Sahrawi refugees have been living under harsh conditions in the Sahara Desert in southwestern Algeria. Hosted in five refugee camps near the Algerian town of Tindouf, refugee families rely primarily on WFP assistance for their food needs. Employment and livelihood opportunities are limited.

The European Commission is the largest donor to WFP’s work in support of Sahrawi refugees in Algeria. In 2018, ECHO covered one-fifth of WFP’s funding requirements for this operation.

WFP has been supporting refugees from Western Sahara in Algeria since 1986. WFP operations in Algeria are carried out and monitored in collaboration with national and international organizations to ensure food assistance reaches the people for whom it is intended.

Information and photo source: https://www1.wfp.org/news/european-union-continues-its-support-sahrawi-refugees-algeria

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