ALGIERS – The European Union has contributed €4.9 million (US$5.5 million) to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to continue to cover the basic food needs of Sahrawi refugees residing in camps in Algeria.
The European Commission Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO) contribution will help provide Sahrawi refugees with diversified monthly food rations that include 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 extremely harsh conditions in the Sahara Desert in southwestern Algeria. Hosted in five refugee camps near Tindouf, refugee families rely primarily on WFP assistance to secure their food needs asemployment opportunities are limited.
“This timely contribution, which we are very grateful for, enables WFP to continue to support Sahrawi refugees who have been living in extreme conditions for years and remain highly dependent on humanitarian assistance,” said Romain Sirois, WFP Representative in Algeria. “The European Commission and ECHO have shown continued generosity over the years in support of Sahrawi refugees.” The European Commission is one of the largest donors for WFP’s work in support of Sahrawi refugees in Algeria. This year, European Commission contributions have covered almost one-third of WFP funding requirements for this operation.
WFP has been supporting refugees from Western Sahara in Algeria since 1986. All WFP assistance in Algeria is carried out and monitored in collaboration with national and international organizations to ensure the assistance reaches the people for whom it is intended.