APS : Wednesday, 09 May 2018
ALGIERS- Algeria makes “the exception” in dealing with needs of the refugees whether from Western Sahara or other countries, said Wednesday, in Algiers, President of the Sahrawi Red Crescent Yahia Bouhabini.
“Algeria is an exception in supporting refugees whether they are from Western Sahara or other Arab and African countries (…). The international community wasn’t aware of the importance of such a sacrifice of the Algerians only after the recent outbreak of several conflicts causing a real refugee crisis,” said Bouhabini in the ceremony of donation of ten million dinars by the ambassador of China to Algiers to the Sahrawi refugees in the camps of Tindouf.
Algeria “makes the exception in dealing with the needs of refugees at a time when a number of countries were overwhelmed by the crisis of refugees,” he added.
Bouhabini underlined that “the international community wasn’t aware of Algeria’s sacrifices in terms of humanitarian aid and assistance to the Sahrawi refugees during more than 40 years only after the outbreak of recent conflicts which led to a crisis of refugees in several European countries.”
“Algeria, which hasn’t dropped Sahrawi refugees for more than 42 years, hasn’t asked to shelter refugees in exchange for an aid or support of the international community or to share costs with other countries. It bore this burden alone,” he underlined.
Pointing out Algeria’s generosity, the Sahrawi official said that “more than 7,400 Sahrawi students are studying in the Algerian universities, institutes and schools with a total support,” adding that 2,500 Sahrawi patients are treated every year in Algeria.
