Committee for Justice expresses its deep alarm at the deteriorating humanitarian conditions faced by tens of thousands of Sahrawi refugees in the Tindouf camps in southern Algeria. For over five decades, these refugees have endured a suffocating military blockade, coupled with systematic violations of their most basic rights.
Speaking at the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Sahrawi refugee Mahmoud Zidane offered a stark testimony of life in the camps. He described how, under the control of Polisario militias and with the complicity of the Algerian army, the camps have become “open-air prisons.” Zidane recounted harrowing abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and reprisals against activists. He highlighted the killing of more than 30 young people by Algerian forces as they attempted to cross the military cordon and documented at least 131 cases of enforced disappearance in secret detention centers—none of which have been investigated by Algerian authorities.
These testimonies echo concerns raised by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his annual report to the 80th session of the General Assembly. The report warned of a worsening humanitarian emergency, with more than 170,000 refugees living in dire conditions amid a steep decline in aid. Cuts of 30% to World Food Program rations have severely impacted food security, health, education, and access to clean water and sanitation. Malnutrition has reached 13%, and stunting rates among children now exceed 30%. The report also noted a staggering funding gap of US$103.9 million in the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, further undermining already fragile relief efforts.
The Committee stresses that this deepening crisis is inseparable from the continued denial of the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination and their inability to return to their homeland. The suspension of confidence-building measures, such as family reunification programs, has compounded the suffering of refugees and prolonged the separation of families.
Recalling the moral and legal obligations of the international community, the Committee calls for:
- Urgent funding to close the humanitarian gap and guarantee sustained access to aid.
- Independent investigations into human rights abuses in the camps, with accountability for perpetrators.
- Revival of the political process to ensure the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Sahrawi refugees to their homeland.
The Committee warns that ignoring this humanitarian tragedy will only fuel further suffering and violations. A just and lasting political solution remains the only path to ending this decade-long crisis.