In the Sahrawi refugee camps in western Algeria the corona virus must not be allowed to break out under any circumstances. Medical care would be no match for the pandemic, as there is hardly enough for everyday emergencies. Our partners of UJSARIO in Smara and their young people are therefore disseminating vital information, because the Sahrauis only have a chance if they prevent it.
In the fight against illegal resource extraction, the Sahrauis have achieved a partial success. Never before has so little phosphate been exported from the Moroccan occupied Western Sahara, reports Western Sahara Resource Watch. More and more companies are avoiding the export goods. The situation would be even better if a Swiss company did not jump into the breach.
The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing catastrophe for the Sahrawi people. Since 1975, the Moroccan regime has illegally ruled over these people and their homeland in Northwest Africa. terre des hommes switzerland has been committed to the private, political and economic self-determination of the Sahrawis for many years. The development organization has successfully campaigned for the young Sahraui,
Laila Fakhouri has been campaigning for her people's right to self-determination since her early youth. For this commitment, the 25-year-old Sahraui now receives the Human Rights Award of the city of Weimar. This prize is awarded every year on the occasion of International Human Rights Day on December 10. terre des hommes switzerland nominated Laila Fakhouri for the prize. On 4.
Vociferous demonstrators are gathering in Western Sahara to protest against the two Swiss companies ABB and LafargeHolcim. From the point of view of the local Sahrawi people, the companies are violating international law because they are doing business in the occupied part of Western Sahara. Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco for 43 years.
For 20 years, terre des hommes switzerland has been supporting children and young people in the Sahrawi refugee camps in the Algerian desert, some of whom lack the most basic necessities. Last summer, the Manor department store chain collected old school backpacks as part of the "Back to School" campaign for the benefit of Sahrawi school children. Now 1347 school bags have reached children and young people who can use them very well.
Despite warnings from various quarters that its actions are illegal and ethically questionable under international law, the Swiss company Glencore has been searching for oil in the Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara for several years. Now the turning point: Glencore is withdrawing from the disputed territory.
Press release - Basel 11 May 2017
The Sahrawi youth in the refugee camps in southern Algeria had something to celebrate yesterday. The European Court of Justice has ruled in a final ruling that goods from the Western Sahara are not covered by the free trade agreement between Morocco and the EU. Switzerland has been following this principle for some time now.
Media Release
UN Climate Change Conference 2016 in Marrakech: Morocco cements the human rights violating occupation of Western Sahara with dirty deals for allegedly clean energy. Siemens wind turbines disrupt the UN peace process in the Western Sahara conflict. A detailed report highlights the unclean linkages.
The opinions of passers-by were quite clear: people do not want melons from the conflict area of Western Sahara in Swiss supermarkets. We spent a day on the Limmatplatz and recorded our meetings of 21 May 2016 in a shortened video.
Kasernenhof 8
CH - 4058 Basel
Tel. +41 61 338 91 38
Mon-Thu, 9-12 am and 2-5 pm
Fri 9-12
Bank details
Post account 40-260-2
IBAN-Number: CH18 0900 0000 4000 0260 2
