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Algiers, 16/01/2007 (SPS) The Saharawi Red Crescent (SRC)
exhorted the World Food Programme (WFP), on Tuesday, to urgently
unblock the funds of donors intended to provide for the needs of the
Saharawi refugees threatened by a close famine.
"The WFP detains, since three months, a Spanish donation evaluated
to 1,5 millions euros, intended to avoid a famine that becomes
imminent", in the Saharawi refugee camps, declared the President of
the SRC, Yahia Bouhoubeini, to the Algerian Press Agency, APS.
The WFP also detains other donations, offered by the General
Direction of the European Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), estimated to 1
million euros, and another donation from Finland (240.000 euros).
Mr. Bouhoubeini underlined that his organisation has absolutely no
aid from the WFP now to respond to the urgent needs of the Saharawi
refugees, currently under threat of famine.
He indicated that the distribution of products such as floor, oil,
sugar and vegetable, which should have been done the first day of
every month, is not done until now because of the shortage his
organisation is suffering from, there are no basic products to
distribute, he said.
The Saharawi responsible called on the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees to raise the awareness of the international community about
the seriousness of the situation in the region.
Last week, the Saharawi Red Crescent (CRS) launched an "urgent"
appeal, the third of its kind in three months, to the international
community, to the donating countries, international organisations
and civil societies, "for an immediate aid to the Saharawi refugees
so as to avoid a famine that became imminent".
This appeal intervenes after the end of the stock of security last
October 2006, while the "little assistance that arrived up to this
date is not sufficient for the minimum needs of thousands innocent
Saharawi women and children", who depend completely on the
international assistance, stressed a communiqué of the CRS
publicised the same day, of which SPS received a copy.
(SPS)
010/090/700/TRD 162056 JAN 07 SPS |
