Once again, the grave humanitarian situation in the Tindouf camps is causing international concern. This time it is a Spanish NGO, Asociación Cooperación Internacional Alhayat, which has raised its voice to denounce the violations taking place in the camps in the Algerian province.
In a letter sent to the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the President of the Andalusian Parliament, the Seville-based NGO denounces the "armed repression" suffered by the displaced people. Likewise, in the note - to which the Moroccan news agency Moroccan News Agency has had access - the Spanish NGO urges the opening of "an independent investigation" by a UN agency with the aim of recommending protection measures for the displaced people of Tindouf.
The NGO's letter holds the Polisario Front and the Algerian authorities responsible - as the camps are located in Algerian territory - and demands justice and an end to impunity. It also stresses the need to respect international standards, the protection of human rights, and the maintenance and consolidation of peace.
However, this is not the first time that an NGO has denounced the grave situation in Tindouf. The UN itself has warned of worsening conditions in the camps, with an emphasis on food insecurity and human rights violations.
Other organisations and associations have condemned the misappropriation of humanitarian aid destined for the camps by the Polisario authorities, as well as the recruitment of child soldiers, which is against international children's laws. In this regard, Morocco has spoken out on several occasions, condemning the "indoctrination and recruitment" of minors by Polisario militias.
On the other hand, the Polisario has recently arrested the activist Mohamed Salem Sueid Malainin, a Spanish national, after he denounced corruption and illegal fuel trafficking. The activist's arrest provoked demonstrations that were repressed.
