Algiers, Sept 22, 2016 (SPS) - The president of the Sahrawi Red Crescent (CRS), Yahia Bouhabini, said Wednesday that the "urgent call" launched by international aid agencies to ease the suffering of Sahrawi refugees shows the growing concern worldwide over the deterioration of the situation due to Morocco's stubbornness and its denial of Sahrawi people's right to self-determination.
Many United Nations agencies, including the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), representatives of 24 countries and 18 non-governmental organizations present at the Sahrawi refugee camps and the Sahrawi Red Crescent held a meeting, during which they launched an urgent call for humanitarian aid in order to ease the suffering of Sahrawi refugees, Bouhabini told APS on Thursday.
The UN agencies estimated the basic needs of Sahrawi refugees in various sectors at more than US$135 million for 2016-2017.
Bouhabini said that the meeting was preparatory for the international conference on Sahrawi refugees, which was called for by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, adding that aid estimates were made on the basis of thorough studies carried out in coordination with the international agencies present in the refugee camps."
They also voiced concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sahrawi refugee camps, especially following the heavy rainfalls that hit the camps in October 2015 and August 2016, and which caused huge damage to basic infrastructures and refugees' homes. SPS
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