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Saharawi Red Crescent launches urgent appeal for relief to rainfall victims

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Chahid Al Hafed (refugee camps), Sept 23, 2014 (SPS) - Saharawi Red Crescent (SRC) has appealed to the donor countries, international organizations, NGOs, associations of friendship and civil societies across the globe to provide “urgent humanitarian aid” to the victims of the heavy rainfall and strong winds, hit the Saharawi refugee camps on Sunday.


“The Saharawi refugees are in need of an urgent need for a humanitarian intervention to provide food and medicines. In the camp of El Aaiun, some people were injured with 1400 tents and mud-brick houses reported to be destroyed,” said SRC, in statement issued Tuesday.


The statement added the Saharawi Red Crescent along with the UN agencies operating in the camps are currently working on an “accurate assessment” for the losses and the urgent needs which will be provided later.


More than 160,000 Saharawi refugees have been living in tents in a very harsh conditions in the Algerian desert for nearly four decades, after their land been invaded militarily by Moroccan army.


It is to be recalled that a heavy rainfall and strong winds on Sunday evening hit the Wilaya of El Aaiun in the Saharawi refugee camps, close to the Algerian town of Tindouf, causing human and material losses.


According to a statement of the Saharawi Ministry of Interior, 10 citizens have been injured, 3 of them in serious conditions are being now treated in hospital.


Concerning the material losses, the source indicated that 1400 tents were destroyed in addition to a similar number of mud houses.


Schools, kindergartens, hospitals and administrative headquarters also sustained damages.


In addition, the rainfall spoiled considerable amounts of food, supplies and equipments of the residents and public social facilities. (SPS)


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