The Western Sahara conflict is both one of the world’s oldest and one of its most neglected.
The refugee camps of Sahara desert
When the war in Western Sahara broke out in 1975, a large part of the population was forced to flee the area, which until then had been a Spanish colony. Since then, several hundred thousand people from the Sarahawi tribe have been living in refugee camps in the border region between Algeria and Western Sahara, in the middle of the Sahara Desert. A ceasefire was signed between the parties in 1991. Despite this, the Sarahawi people have not been able to return to their country. This is mainly because most of the actors – Morocco, Algeria and the Polisario Front, as well as Western countries – are offered status quo benefits that a solution could jeopardise. But the conflict has human, political and economic costs and real victims: for the countries directly affected, the region and the wider international community.
Still, the Sarahawi people are living in refugee camps in the Sahara Desert.
Relief Assistance
The people in Western Sahara refugee camps live in very difficult circumstances and great poverty. In the Livelihood project, we help families to make a better living through small-scale animal breeding. Each family gets two goats or sheep, which contributes to better self-sufficiency with milk and meat and better income as part of the animals can be sold on.
You can also help a family start breeding by giving a gift of your choice and marking the payment “Project Livelihood”. Thank you for your support!
Holistic Development
We believe in women’s right to self-determination, education and health. The women in Western Sahara refugee camps live in very difficult conditions and have limited freedom of movement. Together with our local partner, we run an on-site driving school where we offer driving lessons and theory courses to interested women. By learning to drive, these women can gain more independence, transportation options and self-confidence. They can also contribute to the development and welfare of their community.
