Sahrawi refugee camps

Refugee camp in Tindouf.
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The Sahrawi refugee camps (Arabic: مخيمات اللاجئين الصحراويين; Spanish: Campamentos de refugiados saharauis), also known as the Tindouf camps, are a collection of refugee camps set up in the Tindouf Province, Algeria, in 1975–76 for Sahrawi refugees fleeing from Moroccan forces, who advanced through Western Sahara during the Western Sahara War. With most of the original refugees still living in the camps, the situation is among the most protracted in the world.[1][2]

The limited opportunities for self-reliance in the harsh desert environment have forced the refugees to rely on international humanitarian assistance for their survival.[3] However, the Tindouf camps differ from the majority of refugee camps in the level of self-organization. Most affairs and camp life organization are run by the refugees themselves, with little outside interference.[4]

The camps are divided into five wilayat (districts) named after towns in Western Sahara; El Aaiun, Awserd, Smara, Dakhla and more recently Cape Bojador (or the daira of Bojador).[5][6] In addition, there is a smaller satellite camp known as "February 27", surrounding a boarding school for women, and an administrative camp called Rabouni.[7] The encampments are spread out over a quite large area. While Laayoune, Smara, Awserd, February 27 and Rabouni all lie within an hour's drive of the Algerian city of Tindouf, the Dakhla camp lies 170 kilometres (110 mi) to the southeast. The camps are also the headquarters of the 6th military region of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.

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  6. ^ Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, Elena (May 2011). "Protracted Sahrawi displacement" (PDF). Refugee Studies Centre. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-09-17. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference fmo_2005_b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).