Western Sahara

Last Updated: 28 November 2013

Casualties and Victim Assistance

Casualties and Victim Assistance

Victim assistance commitments

Western Sahara has a significant number of landmine survivors, cluster munition victims, and survivors of other explosive remnants of war (ERW) who are in need. The Polisario authorities signed Geneva Call’s “Deed of Commitment” in 2005 which obliges them to support humanitarian mine action activities, such as victim assistance, among other commitments.[1]

Casualties Overview

All known casualties by end 2012

At least 2,500

Casualties in 2012

40 (2011: 11)

2012 Casualties by outcome

5 killed; 35 injured (2011: 2 killed; 9 injured)

2012 Casualties by item type

3 antipersonnel mines; 2 antivehicle mines; 8 mines of unknown type; 27 unknown explosive items

In 2012, the Monitor identified 40 mine/ERW casualties in Western Sahara.[2] Most (31) casualties were civilians, including two boys. Child casualties represented 13% of all civilian casualties for which the age was known.[3] There were nine casualties among security forces. There were no confirmed female casualties.[4]

The majority of casualties (35) were in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara (west of the berm[5]) with the remainder occurring in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara, east of the berm. This was similar in percentage to 2011 when eight of the 11 casualties identified occurred in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.

The 35 casualties identified in 2012 represented a significant increase from the 11 casualties reported in 2011, though similar to the 25 identified in 2010.[6] Casualty data is not comprehensive, making it difficult to determine clear casualty trends.

The total number of mine/ERW casualties in Western Sahara is not known, though it was estimated in 2011 that there had been some 2,500 since 1975.[7] Morocco reported a total of 2,536 mine/ERW casualties, 831 persons killed, and 1,705 injured, from 1975 to the end of 2012; it was not known how many of these occurred in Morocco versus Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.[8] As of July 2013, the Saharawi Association of Landmine Victims (ASAVIM) had collected detailed information on 919 mine/ERW and cluster munition victims in and around the Rabouni refugee camps on the Algerian border with Western Sahara.[9]

Cluster Munition Casualties

As of July 2013, ASAVIM identified 177 casualties of cluster munition remnants occurring between 1975 and 2012.[10]

Victim Assistance

As of July 2013, ASAVIM had collected data on 919 landmine and cluster munition victims as well as 372 other war victims and persons with disabilities in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara.[11] From 1975 to the end of 2012, Morocco has reported a total of 1,705 mine/ERW survivors.[12] It is likely that most of these occurred in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.[13]

Victim Assistance since 1999

Victim assistance in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara, extremely limited since monitoring began in 1999, is worsened by the fact that most survivors live in extreme poverty in refugee camps. A lack of public transportation in the region made it very difficult for survivors to access the limited services available. With the start of the Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) mine/ERW clearance program in 2006, AOAV began providing emergency aid and transportation in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara to complement a similar service provided by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. However, given the vast and remote territory, emergency response and transportation remained inadequate.

The Chehid Cherif National Center for Mine and War Victims consistently provided basic medical care for war victims, including landmine survivors. The center also offered vocational training programs (when funding allowed) though demand for services consistently exceeded supply. All medical services in refugee camps were free but facilities lacked adequately trained staff and resources. Rehabilitation and prosthetics improved in 2008 and continued through 2012 with the start of an ICRC-supported program to the Rabouni rehabilitation center, serving Saharawi refugees from Polasario-controlled Western Sahara; before this, obtaining access to physical rehabilitation was virtually impossible as no services were available for those living in nearby refugee camps. International technical and financial assistance for physical rehabilitation decreased in 2011 as the ICRC Special Fund for the Disabled ceased providing support to the rehabilitation center in Laâyoune in Morocco-controlled Western Sahara.

There was an acute lack of economic opportunities for survivors; psychological support in the camps was insufficient to address the needs of the population. ASAVIM was founded in 2005 to collect information about survivors and their needs, refer survivors to available services, and advocate on their behalf. There was no government coordination of victim assistance by Morocco or the Polisario government, but there was regular coordination between the Chehid Cherif Center and ASAVIM in the refugee camps and in Polasario-controlled Western Sahara.

Victim Assistance in 2012

With support from AOAV, the capacity of ASAVIM increased significantly in 2012, enabling the network to develop and undertake a comprehensive needs assessment, launch an income-generating project with survivor cooperatives, and raise the profile of its survivor-led advocacy activities. This work complemented ASAVIM’s ongoing efforts to provide peer support and referrals to survivors living in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara. The ICRC sustained its critical support for physical rehabilitation services, including its referral system and outreach visits established in 2011.

Assessing victim assistance needs

Between February and June 2012, ASAVIM, with support from AOAV and in cooperation with the Polisario government, assessed the needs of survivors and other persons with disabilities in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara. ASAVIM members interviewed 838 survivors and 85 family members of survivors.[14] Survey questionnaires included questions on personal information, details of the incident and the injury, services received to date, current medical, prosthetic, rehabilitative and socioeconomic needs, as well as educational background and preferred areas of economic activity.[15] The Ministry of Defence shared their database on veterans with disabilities for inclusion in the survey.[16]

In order to improve victim assistance planning, coordination, and the provision of services, the results of the survey were shared with representatives of the Polisario government, including the ministries of social affairs, health, education, and cooperation, and also with survivors, the ICRC, and other international organizations such as the Spanish Red Cross, UNHCR, and MINURSO.[17] ASAVIM used the results in the designing of, and as baseline data for, the provision of income-generating support to survivors.[18] Based on the results of the survey, the ICRC sought further cooperation with the survey team to improve outreach to survivors.[19]

After completion of the survey, ASAVIM established an ongoing mechanism to collect, manage, and share data on the needs of survivors.

No efforts to assess survivor needs by Morocco were identified in 2012.

Victim assistance coordination

While Western Sahara has no specific victim assistance coordination body or mechanism, the Polisario authorities supported the Chehid Cherif Landmine and War Victims Center and basic medical care.[20]

Survivor participation and inclusion

Survivors, through ASAVIM, coordinated regularly with the Chehid Cherif Center and relevant Polisario government institutions in order to refer survivors to available services.[21] ASAVIM was involved in the design and the implementation of the ongoing needs assessment.[22] ASAVIM and its survivor members also implemented an economic inclusion program, provided peer support, and carried out advocacy activities.[23]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[24]

Name of organization

Type of organization

Type of activity

Changes in quality/coverage of service in 2012

Chehid Cherif Landmine and War Victims Center

Public Center (supported by Polisario authorities)

Medical attention, nutritional support and vocational training center; host for ICRC rehabilitation center; facilitated transportation to access services

Ongoing

Rabouni Hospital

Public Hospital

Provided psychological assistance to mine/ERW survivors in nearby refugee camps

Ongoing

ASAVIM

Survivor Association in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara

Advocacy for victim assistance and for the inclusion of victims in existing development and training initiatives; needs assessment; economic inclusion; peer support and referrals

Completed needs assessment and established ongoing data collection; began economic inclusion

Moroccan Association of Mine Victims (l’Association marocaine des victimes des mines)

Survivor Association in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara

Awareness of victims’ rights and risk education

Ongoing

AOAV

International NGO

Emergency response to mine/ERW incidents in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara; support to ASAVIM for survivor needs assessment, and support to the Chehid Cherif Center

Ongoing

ICRC

International organization

Support for physical rehabilitation at Rabouni Rehabilitation Center; outreach to refugee camps to identify beneficiaries and raise awareness of available services; referral system in hospitals; support for education for children of mine victims

Increased number of mine/ERW survivors benefiting from rehabilitation

UNHCR

International Organization

Basic services for all refugees; emergency medical services and evacuation; support for vocational training for persons with disabilities

Ongoing

Emergency and ongoing medical care

MINURSO staff provided emergency response following mine incidents in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara, while AOAV provided the same service in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara.[25] UNHCR’s medical unit also provided emergency medical services and casualty evacuation.[26]

However, as in previous years, it was reported in 2012 that emergency response times for people involved in mine/ERW incidents in remote areas could be several hours or even days, resulting in some casualties dying from their wounds before receiving medical attention.[27] Morocco reported having modern medical facilities where survivors could access services for free.[28]

Ongoing healthcare remained very limited and treatment for complex injuries or chronic conditions is scarce and in some cases non-existent. The ASAVIM/AOAV needs assessment found that 71% of survivors were in need of some form of medical attention and at least a quarter could not access the assistance they needed where they lived.[29]

Physical rehabilitation, including prosthetics

The ICRC-run Rabouni Rehabilitation Center within the Chehid Cherif Center continued to be the only center serving refugee populations in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara. Necessary maintenance and expansion to the physical infrastructure of the center was postponed due to a lack of funds, estimated to cost approximately US$5,000.[30]

The ICRC maintained its referral network with area hospitals and its outreach visits to refugee camps, increasing its overall number of beneficiaries significantly (by 57%) and the number of survivors who benefited (by 31%).[31] Among the survivors who were surveyed in 2012, 57% indicated the need for prosthetics or other mobility aids.[32]

Economic Inclusion

In August 2012, ASAVIM launched a grant program to support income-generating projects by survivor cooperatives. ASAVIM established a national project commission to monitor the implementation of the project. The commission included representatives of victim assistance stakeholders, including ministries of social affairs and women’s promotion; cooperation; education; and defence. Cooperatives received training in project and business planning. As of September 2013, 27 cooperatives had received support for their business proposals.[33]

A limited number of vocational training and income-generating programs were available to refugees in the Rabouni area through the Polisario government and international organizations, such as UNHCR, including some targeting persons with disabilities.[34] However, survivors based in refugee camps were not aware of such programs.[35] The Moroccan Red Crescent paid the school fees of eight children of mine victims in Morocco-controlled Western Sahara.[36]

Just 15% of survivors surveyed by ASAVIM received very limited financial assistance, in the form of a pension for persons with severe disabilities referred to as “the encouragement,” from Polisario authorities.[37] Survivors in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara were entitled to financial assistance from the Moroccan government; however it was estimated in 2010 that about one in six survivors lacked the documentation needed to access this assistance which was deemed insufficient to meet basic needs.[38] Morocco reported having government programs for the economic and social reinsertion of these survivors.[39]

Psychological support

ASAVIM increased the availability of psychological assistance by providing peer support, along with information on where to access services, while undertaking the needs assessment. ASAVIM continued to provide such support on an ongoing basis through its office and during meetings of members.[40] Psychological assistance was also available through the Rabouni hospital, but many survivors did not know about these services and reported a complete absence of professional psychological support.[41]

Laws and policies

There is no existing legislation in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara protecting the rights of mine/ERW victims or persons with disabilities. In 2012, ASAVIM and the Network for Investigation on the Effects of Landmines and the Berm in Western Sahara (Red de Estudios sobre efectos de Minas terrestres y Muros en el Sahara Occidental, REMMSO) advocated for the introduction of such legislation and called for increased interministerial coordination.[42] In February 2013, the Polisario authorities offered support for the initiative and began taking steps towards enacting such legislation.[43]

 



[1] Since 1979, the Polisario authorities have been recognized by the UN as the representative of the people of Western Sahara. Geneva Call, “Western Sahara,” undated, www.genevacall.org/Africa/Western-Sahara/western-sahara.htm, accessed 30 September.

[2] UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) Mine Action Coordination Centre (MACC) recorded 34 casualties, and the additional six casualties were identified through the media. All casualty data was provided from the following sources: email from Karl Heinz Stierli, Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) Officer, MINURSO MACC, 24 June 2013; and Monitor media review 1 January 2012–31 December 2012.

[3] The age of nearly half of civilian casualties (15) was not known.

[4] The sex of 17 casualties was unknown.

[5] Berms are earthen walls about three meters high that Morocco built in 1982–1987 to secure the northwestern corner of Western Sahara.

[6] MINURSO, the principal source of information on casualties in Western Sahara, only began collecting casualty data in 2008 and for 2011 it did not include all of the casualties identified by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

[7] AOAV, “Making life safer for the people of Western Sahara,” London, August 2011, p. 7, www.aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Making_life_safer_for_the_people_of_western_sahara1.pdf; and Louise Orton, “Killed in Western Sahara by a bomb shaped like a ball,” BBC News (Western Sahara), 17 May 2011, www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13413947, accessed 17 May 2011.

[8] Statement of Morocco, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 24 May 2012; and Morocco reported 36 landmine casualties for 2012 (four people killed and 32 injured), all occurred in the areas of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form I, April 2013.

[9] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, Advisor, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Statement of Morocco, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 24 May 2012; and Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 Report (for calendar year 2012), Form I, April 2013.

[13] It is possible that some, though few, may have occurred in Morocco. Morocco does not collect data on casualties occurring in Polisario-controlled Western Sahara.

[14] By July 2013, the total number of people surveyed was 1,291. Of the respondents, 4% had disabilities from non-conflict related causes, such as traffic accidents and chronic disease. In 27% of respondents, disabilities were related to the armed conflict but not caused by landmines or ERW. AOAV, “Understanding and Addressing Needs of Victims and Survivors of ERW in Western Sahara,” London, September 2012, p. 11, www.aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Understanding-and-Addressing-Needs-of-Victims-and-Survivors-of-ERW-in-Western-Sahara-September-2012.pdf.

[15] AOAV, “Understanding and Addressing Needs of Victims and Survivors of ERW in Western Sahara,” London, September 2012, pp. 6–10, www.aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Understanding-and-Addressing-Needs-of-Victims-and-Survivors-of-ERW-in-Western-Sahara-September-2012.pdf.

[16] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013.

[17] Email from Aziz Haidar, ASAVIM, 20 June 2012.

[18] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013.

[19] Email from Aziz Haidar, ASAVIM, 20 June 2012.

[20] Response to Monitor questionnaire from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 5 May 2012.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid.; and interview with Aziz Haidar, ASAVIM, 23 February 2012.

[23] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013.

[24] Response to Monitor questionnaire from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 5 May 2012; email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013; “Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara,” (New York: UN Security Council, 8 April 2013), S/2013/220, pp. 9, 13, www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2013/220; ICRC, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva, May 2013, p. 226; ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Programme (PRP), “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva, September 2013, p. 26; and “Dakhla: Les mines antipersonnel font de nouvelles victims” (“Dakhla: Landmines are the cause of new victims”), Aujourd hui, 28 June 2013, www.aujourdhui.ma/maroc-actualite/regions/dakhla-les-mines-antipersonnel-font-de-nouvelles-victimes-103785.html.

[25] Ginevra Cucinotta, “Mine Action Activities in Western Sahara,” Journal of Mine Action, Issue 14.3, Fall 2010, www.jmu.edu/cisr/journal/14.3/spcl_rpt/cucinotta/cucinotta.shtml, accessed 26 May 2011.

[26] “Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara,” (New York: UN Security Council, 8 April 2013), S/2013/220, p. 9, www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2013/220.

[27] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013.

[28] Statement of Morocco, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 24 May 2012.

[29] AOAV, “Understanding and Addressing Needs of Victims and Survivors of ERW in Western Sahara,” London, September 2012, p. 12, www.aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Understanding-and-Addressing-Needs-of-Victims-and-Survivors-of-ERW-in-Western-Sahara-September-2012.pdf.

[30] Interview with Aziz Haidar, ASAVIM, 23 February 2012; and response to Monitor questionnaire from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 5 May 2012.

[31] ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva, September 2013, p. 26; and ICRC PRP, “Annual Report 2011,” Geneva, May 2012, p. 27.

[32] AOAV, “Understanding and Addressing Needs of Victims and Survivors of ERW in Western Sahara,” London, September 2012, p. 12, www.aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Understanding-and-Addressing-Needs-of-Victims-and-Survivors-of-ERW-in-Western-Sahara-September-2012.pdf.

[33] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 4 October 2013.

[34] Interview with Aziz Haidar, ASVIM, 23 February 2012; and “Report of the Secretary-General on the situation concerning Western Sahara,” (New York: UN Security Council, 8 April 2013), S/2013/220, p. 13, www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2013/220.

[35] Response to Monitor questionnaire from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 5 May 2012.

[36] ICRC, “Annual Report 2012,” Geneva, May 2013, p. 226.

[37] AOAV, “Understanding and Addressing Needs of Victims and Survivors of ERW in Western Sahara,” London, September 2012, p. 10, www.aoav.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Understanding-and-Addressing-Needs-of-Victims-and-Survivors-of-ERW-in-Western-Sahara-September-2012.pdf.

[38] John Thorne, “Western Sahara conflict’s explosive legacy,” The National (Smara), 8 May 2010, www.thenational.ae/news/world/africa/western-sahara-conflicts-explosive-legacy.

[39] Statement of Morocco, Mine Ban Treaty Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration, Geneva, 24 May 2012.

[40] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013.

[41] Response to Monitor questionnaire from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 5 May 2012.

[42] Email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, 24 July 2013.

[43] “Organizations demanding that the government and the National Council adopt national days, one against the Berm and the other for mine victims and survivors,” UPES, 23 February 2013, www.upes.org/bodyindex.asp?id=12869&field=sosio; and email from Gaici Nah Bachir, ASAVIM, and Founder, REMMSO, 4 October 2013.