Geneva (Switzerland), September 23, 2026 (SPS) – The President of the Association of Families of Sahrawi Prisoners and Missing Persons (AFAPREDESA), Abdessalam Omar, drew today, Wednesday, the attention of the Human Rights Council to the continuing plight of Sahrawi refugees, whose displacement has lasted for more than five decades.
He stressed that this situation is not merely a protracted humanitarian crisis, but a humanitarian consequence of a political issue that remains unresolved.
In his intervention before the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council, Abdessalam Omar clarified that Western Sahara remains a Non-Self-Governing Territory on the United Nations list, and that the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination remains at the heart of the issue.
In this context, the speaker expressed concern over any approach seeking to reduce the number of refugees or cut the cost of the humanitarian response without addressing the circumstances that have caused their prolonged displacement. He stressed that humanitarian assistance must continue to be based on assessed needs and humanitarian principles.
He also stressed that funding decisions should not become a means of serving political considerations, and that declining humanitarian resources should not determine who receives protection and assistance. He warned that humanitarian fatigue after more than fifty years should not lead to acceptance of the continuation of the status quo.
Abdessalam Omar called on the international community to continue ensuring adequate, predictable and needs-based humanitarian assistance for Sahrawi refugees, stressing at the same time that humanitarian action cannot substitute for a political solution.
He also urged the Human Rights Council to support efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of prolonged displacement, including through achieving a just, lasting and rights-based solution that respects the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination.
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