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UN chief warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Tindouf as malnutrition and disease surge
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Tindouf camps in Algeria, where malnutrition and disease rates among Sahrawi refugees have reached critical levels.
According to a recent UN report, Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) among children in the camps has risen to 13.6%, while stunting has climbed to 30.7%, compared with 10.7% and 28.8% in 2022. These are the highest recorded rates since 2010, levels the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies as critical.
Severe malnutrition and rising anemia
The report also found alarmingly high rates of anemia, affecting 68.8% of women of reproductive age and children under five, far exceeding the 40% public health emergency threshold. In 2022, anemia levels were already elevated, recorded at 53.5% and 54.2% in the same demographic groups.
The UN chief’s findings underscore a dramatic decline in the health and nutrition of Sahrawis living under what he described as “inhumane conditions.” Despite ongoing humanitarian efforts, the situation continues to deteriorate due to poor resource management and limited access to aid.
Limited funding and mismanagement
As of July 2025, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that only $36.16 million of the $104 million requested for humanitarian programs had been received, including partial funding from the Algerian government.
However, multiple reports indicate that funds provided by Algeria are directed primarily toward Polisario Front leadership and military activities rather than direct humanitarian relief. Refugees remain confined to the remote desert camps, where access to water, healthcare, and mobility is severely restricted.
Aid diversion and international concern
Numerous investigations, including reports by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Tindouf Autonomy Support Forum (FORSATIN), have exposed long-standing embezzlement of humanitarian aid by Polisario officials. Medical supplies and food aid, once delivered, often disappear or are sold in Mauritania and sub-Saharan markets to finance the purchase of weapons.
Earlier this year, UNHCR representative Alistair Alain Boulton called for $100 million in annual assistance to meet the urgent needs of Sahrawi refugees. Despite appeals, international donors remain cautious due to repeated cases of aid diversion.
Calls for accountability
Morocco’s permanent ambassador to the UN, Omar Hilale, renewed calls for Algeria to allow a long-overdue census of camp residents, a demand made repeatedly by the UN Security Council since 2011. The absence of accurate population data, Hilale said, facilitates ongoing misappropriation of aid and undermines relief efforts.
The UN report paints a dire picture of worsening health, deepening poverty, and systemic neglect in Tindouf, urging immediate international attention to prevent further human suffering in the Polisario-administered camps.
