The European Commission has made available funding worth one million ECU for emergency food aid in southern Algeria. The aid is for about 150,000 refugees from the western Sahara who are stranded in the Tindouf region of the Algerian desert.

The grant, to be channelled via the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), has been approved because of the deteriorating situation in which the refugees find themselves. It will top up a previous grant worth 2.5 million ECU.

The refugees are living in a particularly hostile environment, and are almost totally dependent on humanitarian aid. The aid available from government sources is limited and the refugees have practically run out of food stocks.

ECHO will work on this project with OXFAM-Belgium, CARITAS-Belgium and the French non-governmental organisation Comité International du Mouvement aupres des Evacués (CIMADE) over the next three months. The NGOs will buy the following products, locally if possible: infant formula, rice, sugar, vegetable oil and lentils. The grant will also cover transport, distribution and monitoring of the operation.

This grant brought ECHO funding for this group of refugees to a total of 5.0 million ECU in 1995.