Refugees and asylum-seekers in urban areas:
In line with UNHCR global commitments (GCR, the Grand Bargain and GRF) and following several years of advocacy efforts, UNHCR, IOM and WFP were included again in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework after an absence of five years, upon request of the Algerian Government.
The Office began to actively contribute in all working groups of the Common Country Analysis (CCA) that will lead the development of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Algeria, including refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people.
UNHCR also worked closely with IOM on resettlement and referrals of rejected asylum-seekers expressing an interest in returning to their country of origin, in accordance with cross-referral SOPs between the two organizations. Additionally, the IOM-UNHCR Working Group on Mixed Movements established at the beginning of 2019, continued to operate successfully.
Refugees from Western Sahara:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, coordination between various actors in the camp was critical to ensure the implementation of the essential activities, in particular for health and WASH. To respond to challenges presented by COVID-19, coordination was strengthened through a joint field mission with UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO, following UNHCR’s recommendation to the UN COVID-19 taskforce. The main objective of the mission was to support the health departments in charge of health in the camps in elaborating the preparedness and response plan for COVID-19 in the five Sahrawi Refugee camps and improve coordination with the UN taskforce and Algerian health authorities.
In 2020, UNHCR was active in the sectors of protection, education, WASH, health, food and nutrition, water, shelter, and livelihoods, although the inter-sector working group experienced a temporary suspension due to COVID-19. In Tindouf, UNHCR continued to work with 11 implementing partners, in close coordination with the Sahrawi refugee community. UNHCR continued to be the lead coordinator of the humanitarian response in the camps, providing international protection to Sahrawi refugees.
WFP continued to cover the refugees’ basic food and nutrition needs through monthly food rations and increasingly conducted complementary livelihoods activities (e.g. hydroponics for animal fodder). In December 2020, UNHCR supported WFP with the contribution of the provision of wheat flour upon their request. UNICEF supported maternal and child health programmes (including the immunization programme and capacity building for health staff), primary education activities with particular attention for WASH in schools, child protection through the inclusion of children with disabilities, and youth activities by promoting vocational training.