Shaheed El-Hafed, May 22, 2017 (SPS) - The Saharawi Red Crescent Society (SRC) has issued an "urgent" appeal to all donor countries and humanitarian organizations to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to avoid the danger that threatens the life of the Sahrawi refugees who have been totally reliant on international humanitarian assistance for more than 40 years, indicated a statement from the CRS made public on Monday.
“Stocks in the warehouse of basic food reserves targeting Sahrawi refugees, the most essential, especially sugar and rice, plus other foods, have already used up, so the world food programme (WFP) was forced to reduce by 20 % monthly rations of food intended to refugees in the month of may, and will be forced to reduce in the next month of June, and if we do not receive contributions from donor countries, as soon as possible, we will not be able to meet our obligations during the second half of 2017, which increases the worsening of the dire humanitarian situation of Sahrawi refugees,” warned SRC.
“Micronutrients also products to combat malnutrition and anemia have been exhausted, which jeopardizes the lives of 220000 women and children suffering from malnutrition and severe anaemia, chronic and acute, and at the same time the project of fresh products destined to these refugees was reduced by 70 % since European DG still has not released its contribution for the year 2017.”
“This severe food crisis coincides with the proximity of the holy month of Ramadan and the rising temperatures, which will have serious implications on the health of thousands of women, children and elders of these refugees.”
“It should be noted that the Security Council had appealed to donor countries, particularly in its resolution of last April, to the donor countries in order to make more contributions and not to reduce food rations.”
WFP has recently sounded the alarm and called to provide about US $ 7.9 million to guarantee the minimum food requirements of the Saharawi refugees for the second half of this year, SRC recalled in its appeal. (SPS)
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