WFP points to Algeria's responsibility for humanitarian crisis in Tindouf

A report drawn up by an independent investigation team - at the request of the World Food Programme (WFP) - has pointed to "serious shortcomings" in Algeria's management of humanitarian aid destined for the Sahrawi camps in Tindouf.

In particular, the document indicates "the absence of direct control over the distribution of general food aid and free access to the camps", underlining that "the organisation has limited capacity to ensure compliance with humanitarian principles in the camps".

The research team recalls that "food aid is distributed to the entire camp population and not only to the most vulnerable", as stated in previous WFP reports. This reveals one of the tools used to deliberately inflate population figures in the camps.

In this regard, the UN agency highlights the need to update information on food aid in Tindouf, as well as to protect UNHCR's registration of the population, as this is a key element in the analysis and assessment of needs. 

Furthermore, according to the report, WFP "has had difficulty establishing solid relations with the Algerian Red Crescent", as it is the Polisario Front that organises and distributes humanitarian aid in the camps on behalf of the Red Crescent.

This suggests that Algeria has handed over responsibility for Tindouf to the pro-independence militia, something that has been condemned since 2018 by the UN Human Rights Committee. 

Another challenge the research has faced is the censorship that exists in the camps. "All interview participants are selected by the so-called authorities in Tindouf," the report stresses. This reflects, in addition to censorship, the Polisario's fear that refugees will denounce the mismanagement and misappropriation of humanitarian aid.