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Overview
Algeria has hosted Sahrawi refugees from Western Sahara since 1975. Located in the harsh and isolated desert environment of western Algeria, these refugees live in five camps near the town of Tindouf (1,800 km from the capital Algiers). Sahrawi refugees face many health, social and economic challenges. In addition, conflicts and natural disasters in the region have further complicated their situation. Since 1986, WFP has been supporting the most food-insecure people in and around the Tindouf camps to meet their basic food and nutritional needs, as well as strengthen their livelihoods. Even after more than 35 years, WFP’s assistance continues to be the main source of food, as people in camps are almost entirely dependent on humanitarian assistance.
WFP’s Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP) 2019-2024 is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2: "Zero Hunger" and 17: "Partnerships for the Goals".
In 2023, WFP served its beneficiaries mostly with in-kind general food assistance, distributing more than 2,000 metric tons of commodities per month. More than 40,000 school children in the camps received nutritious mid-morning snacks while 8,600 pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBW) and girls received monthly cash-based transfers (CBT) to diversify their diets and thereby contribute to anemia prevention. WFP also provided special nutritious food to treat and prevent moderate acute malnutrition and anemia among PBW and children aged 6-59 months.
WFP strengthened the development of an integrated resilience approach, combining environmental and social responses to the needs in the camps. WFP provided agricultural training to beneficiary families and the community, resulting in the reactivation of gardens at family regional and school levels. In addition, green fodder production plots were restarted. Resilience building activities in camps aim to improve local food production and increase access to fresh produce within the community through adopting an integrated food system approach that considers elements of livelihood enhancement, climate change adaptation, environmental protection, and impact sustainability.
Conflicts in the region had a major impact on commodities prices and shipping costs in 2023. WFP’s partnership work became more important than ever at this critical time when WFP’s funding needs for Algeria had reached an all-time high in 2023. The costs of WFP operations in Algeria increased reaching an annual financial requirement of USD 38 million from USD 32 million in 2022. WFP continued its advocacy to ensure the essential food needs of the vulnerable populations in and around camps in Tindouf were met throughout the year.
The first half of 2023 was stable, as evidenced by a reported acceptable food consumption score, with approximately 82 percent of households reporting adequate food consumption scores, owing primarily to the full ration supplied by WFP (increased from 75 percent in 2022). Yet, consumption of vitamin A and Heme iron micronutrients remained concerning according to the results of June 2023 Post Distribution Monitoring report.
As resources allowed, WFP distributed a monthly food basket of 2,216 kcal per day and per capita, which was adjusted to beneficiary preferences throughout the year. However, due to challenges with contributions, including delays in the later half of 2023, WFP was forced to apply reductions on the rations beneficiaries received. A 25 percent reduction was made on barley, rice and lentils and a 37.5 percent on fortified wheat flour for the months of November and December.
Following up on the 2022 Nutrition Survey, WFP conducted a Nutrition Causal Analysis (NCA) to delve deeper into the core reasons and variables contributing to the population's malnutrition. UNHCR and WFP started a Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the end of 2023 to assess their food security and nutrition situation.
In November 2023, under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, key humanitarian stakeholders in the camps launched the Sahrawi Refugee Response Plan (SRRP) for 2024-2025. The plan focuses on food security, nutrition, health, livelihoods, WASH and environment, education, protection, and logistics pillars and outlines a comprehensive response to support humanitarian efforts to protect and assist Sahrawi refugees in the five camps near the town of Tindouf. The SRRP's financial requirement is estimated at USD 214 million, almost one third of which is required for the food security sector.
In 2023, WFP Algeria provided the Management Response to the recommendations of the Evaluation Report of Algeria’s ICSP (2019-2022). Key recommendations for 2023 were addressed and implemented throughout the year, including WFP’s participation in the SRRP, the expansion of cash assistance in the camps, and the development of a Partnerships Action Plan for an effective advocacy. The remaining recommendations will continue to be addressed in 2024.
Moving forward, WFP Algeria will continue its efforts to diversify its partnership portfolio and explore funding opportunities with new donors, private sector, and multi and bilateral donors. WFP will continue to advocate for timely, flexible, and multi-year funding to ensure programme continuity and implementation predictability.