Western Sahara: Amaral calls for more humanitarian aid for Sahrawi refugees

ALGIERS- United Nations Resident Coordinator in Algeria

Cristina Amaral urged the international community and humanitarian agencies to step up humanitarian aid for Sahrawi refugees.

"I call on all countries to increase contributions to UN humanitarian programme for Sahrawi refugees, because they depend only on international aid and UN humanitarian effort," Amaral told APS on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations.

The UN official also expressed "great concern" over the deterioration of humanitarian situation in the Sahrawi territories occupied by Morocco.

"We are particularly concerned about the weather forecasts," said Amaral.

She also noted the reduction of humanitarian aid provided to UN agencies, like the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"We seek more international solidarity with Sahrawi refugees in the region of Tindouf, pending a political solution to the question of Western Sahara, the last colony in the African

continent," she added.

Sahrawi people are suffering from daily abuses and human rights violations as well as the exploitation of their natural resources by the Moroccan occupier.