UN Refugee Chief Warns of Worsening Conditions for Sahrawi Refugees in Western Sahara

UN Refugee Chief Warns of Worsening Conditions for Sahrawi Refugees in Western Sahara
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The United Nations’ top refugee official has warned that the humanitarian situation facing Sahrawi refugees displaced by the Western Sahara conflict is deteriorating, with aid efforts facing severe funding shortages after more than five decades of displacement.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih told the UN Security Council on Friday that generations of Sahrawi refugees have lived in uncertainty in and around Tindouf, Algeria, where many have remained displaced for more than 50 years.

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony rich in natural resources, has been largely controlled by Morocco since 1975. The United Nations continues to classify the territory as a non-self-governing territory.

The dispute has continued for decades between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the Sahrawi people. A UN-backed ceasefire ended major fighting in 1991, but the political dispute remains unresolved.

Salih stressed that the prolonged displacement of Sahrawi refugees requires renewed international attention, saying that maintaining the current situation cannot replace efforts toward a lasting political solution.

The warning comes after the UN Security Council voted in October 2025 in favor of a US-backed resolution that described Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as the “most feasible” solution to the dispute.

The refugee agency has continued providing humanitarian assistance to displaced Sahrawi communities, but officials have repeatedly highlighted funding gaps affecting basic services and living conditions.