Brussels, 19/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has adopted a 14.34 million euro global plan to provide humanitarian assistance to more that 150,000 Western Saharan refugees in the Tindouf region of Algeria. The question of the Western Sahara has become a kind of "forgotten crisis", Commissioner Poul Nielson commented, recalling that a substantial proportion of the Sahrawi population has been living in exile for many years in refugee camps of south-western Algeria, and that "donor fatigue that has set in with the passage of time which is making their situation very precarious". The EU maintains its commitment to this "highly vulnerable population", he said. The aid, channelled through Echo, especially consists in food products; furthermore, the Commission is considering releasing resources to provide essential medical supplies, hygiene products, winter blankets and tent repair kits.
You may recall that, before end-July, the UN Security Council had spoken out on the possible options for the future of the Western Sahara.