HUMANITARIAN, NON-POLITICAL ROLE OF UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES STRESSED IN THIRD COMMITTEE
Press Release
GA/SHC/3435
HUMANITARIAN, NON-POLITICAL ROLE OF UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES STRESSED IN THIRD COMMITTEE
19971104 The importance of the humanitarian work carried out by the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the need to affirm their non- political nature were among the matters stressed this morning as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its consideration of the UNHCR's annual report and related matters.There should be no doubt about the UNHCR's real mission and non- political nature, the representative of Canada told the Commitee. Allegations recently made against the organization detracted from its work, threatening the safety of its staff and that of other humanitarian agencies. The UNHCR was fist and foremost a humanitarian organization, dedicated to the cause of refugees, he said.
The UNHCR should adopt a very careful attitude towards those issues which were not within the scope of its mandatae, so as not to hurt the prestige it had established over the years, the representative of China said. She also expressed appreciation for its efforts to repatariate Indo-Chinese refugees in China.
The representative of Brazil said that the UNHCR's search for longlasting solutions merited the support of the international community. Equal attention must also be paid to the underlying political, social and economic factors which influenced the response of States to refugee influxes and internal displacements. The international community should provide adequate resources to allow the UNHCR to meet its growing challenges.
Voluntary repatriation represented the best solution to the refugee problem, the representative of Kenya told the Committee. However, such efforts required the establishment of integration and rehabilitation programmes in the areas to which the refugees were returning. "Experience has shown that dropping a refugee into a country of origin with a few hundred dollars and a bag of rations is not enough," she said.
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The most viable solution for refugees and displaced persons was for them to return home and serve as productive members of their societies, the representative of Thailand said. Where conditions permitted, safe return should be undertaken and material incentives should be provided as an inducement for reintegration, based on agreements between countries and agencies concerned.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Georgia, Egypt, Iraq, India, Liechtenstein, Argentina, New Zealand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Djibouti, Liberia, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Korea, Libya and Algeria, as well as by the observers for the Holy See and Switzerland. A representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also spoke.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to continue its consideration of the UNHCR's report.
Committee Work Programme
The Third Committee met this morning to continue its consideration of the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as questions relating to refugees, returnees and displaced persons, and humanitarian questions pertaining to those groups.
The Committee had before it the UNHCR's annual report, as well as a report on the recent session of the Executive Committee of the Programme of the High Commissioner. It also had before it reports of the Secretary-General on the following subjects: assistance to unaccompanied refugee minors; follow-up on a 1996 regional conference addressing problems of refugees, displaced persons and others involuntarily displaced and returning in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and relevant neighbouring States; and on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa.
(For background on these reports, see Press Release GA/SHC/3432 of 3 November.)
LEVAN R. GOGOBERIDZE (Georgia) said the problem of refugees was of overriding importance for the country, which had been seriously affected by the spontaneous flow of internally displaced persons and refugees as a result of armed conflicts in the separatist regions of South Ossetia and particularly Abkhazia. The lack of a unified international effort to resolve the problem of refugees was draining resources, upsetting development plans and threatening the integrity of fledgling institutions. Of particular concern were the growing numbers of street children in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, where they were at risk of being forced or recruited into illegal activities.
The UNHCR had assisted by enhancing its comprehensive programme to provide shelter materials to rebuild homes, he said. The recent arrival of a protection officer had enabled the Office to increase its capacity to provide protection. That process on the part of UNHCR to address the acute refugee and migration problems in the region had implications for both regional and global stability and security. The 1996 Conference of CIS countries on refugees had been the starting point of the expanded UNHCR effort. International support from donor countries would make it possible to implementing other recommendations from the Conference's plan of action.
YEHIA ODA (Egypt) said his country was in complete support of voluntary return as the crux of the UNHCR programme. It also supported punishing those who violated the rights of those ousted from their homes. The problem of refugees had to be handled on a regional and international level, both by nations and by the United Nations system.
On the worldwide decrease in the number of refugees and the lack of new refugees flows, as stated in the High Commissioner's report, he said he
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wondered whether those figures reflected the reality around the Great Lakes. In Bosnia, there was a problem of refugees not being able to return. In Palestine, the dignity of refugees and compensation for what they had lost were outstanding issues.
The problem of refugees was an obstacle to development and threatened the security of countries, he said. Protection should be given to the relief staff and access to refugees should be provided. Integrated approaches should be pursued, taking account of economic, social and military elements.
RENATO MARTINO, Observer for the Holy See, said the present century had been described as "a century of refugees". In the past decade of this millenium, the question of refugees had assumed dramatic and shocking proportions. Refugees often found themselves in conditions which were worse than what they had left behind. The Holy See noted with concern that attempts were being made, even in the suffocating situations of refugee camps, to implement population policies following certain interpretations of the International Conference on Population and Development Plan of Action which gave a place to abortion within population activities. However, an examination of that Plan showed that it did not authorize such inter- pretations. Overall, 50 million refugees and internally displaced people were crying out to the world's conscience for justice, wanting to exercise their right to life, in their homes and country.
More than ever, stress should be placed on the causes of the problem and its global nature, he said. Urgent political action on the part of the international community was necessary. Preventive mechanisms must be strengthened and a new concept of security and development developed. The world must be more attentive to ensuring respect for human rights and democratic practices. There must also be greater vigilance with respect to the question of economic and ecological balance. The legitimate practice of asylum must be addressed and re-examined as a solution to the refugee problem.
"Protection is not a concession to the refugee, who is not an object of assistance but a subject of rights and duties", he said. A tiny percentage of the global spending on disastrous weapons could take care of millions of abandoned human lives.
PEDRO PAULO D'ESCRAGNOLLE-TAUNAY (Brazil) said that although there had been some positive developments regarding refugees over the past year, he shared the High Commissioner's deep concern about the increasingly restrictive trends with respect to the granting of asylum. Attitudes had hardened in many parts of the world, resulting in a range of protection problems, including refoulement at the border, and restrictiive application procedures. Brazil subscribed fully to the main international legal instruments on the protection of and assistance to refugees. It had expanded its interpretation of those instruments to include the protection of persons fleeing from situations of open violence within and between States. He urged all States which had not
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done so to become parties to the 1951 Convention relative to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. The international community was urged to uphold and strengthen the institution of refugee status and the principle of non-refoulement, which were the two pillars of international protection.
The UNHCR's search for long lasting solutions also merited the support of the international community, he said. Equal attention must also be paid to the underlying political, social and economic factors which clearly influenced the response of States to refugee influxes and internal displacements. The international community should provide adequate resources to allow UNHCR to meet its growing challenges in refugees crisis situations and in helping integrate refugees in receiving countries.
Brazil gave special attention to the question of refugees in its territory, he said. Refugees had been granted the exercise of their civil rights within the limit of the Brazilian Foreign Citizens Act, and steps had been taken to facilitate their access to the job market. However, those measures could not solve all the problems of refugees in Brazil. A growing number had concentrated in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where the competition for jobs was extremely intense. Budgetary limitations faced by UNHCR had not made the situation any easier.
(Note: The principle of non-refoulement prohibits the expulsion or forcible return of a person to a country where he or she may have reason to fear prosecution.)
MOHAMMED Al-HUMAIMIDI (Iraq) said the work of UNHCR needed international support and cooperation. Displaced persons and refugees represented an international responsibility which was not limited to sending and receiving States. Iraq cooperated with the UNHCR's efforts to assist refugees, particularly with respect to early warning of massive movements of populations as a result of war or natural disasters. The problem of refugees should continue to be addressed within a humanitarian framework. That was important, since some States used the problem of refugees to achieve political aims or to interfere in the internal affairs of other States.
The presence of Iraqi refugees in neighbouring States was a new phenomenon, he said. On the contrary, Iraq had always provided support for others coming into the country. The mass migration of Iraqis was attributed to the unnatural circumstances resulting from the unjust economic sanctions imposed on the country. The abnormal circumstances in the northern part of Iraq caused by incessant fighting among Kurdish factions and interference by other States had caused many citizens to migrate to other countries. There should be no interference by other States in the northern region of Iraq, which should be returned to Iraqi control.
DONG ZHIHUA (China) said that during the past year the institutions for international protection of refugees had faced severe challenges. The
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situation in the Great Lakes region of Africa seriously hampered and threatened humanitarian assistance activities. At the same time, some developed countries had adopted harsh border control measures and restrictive asylum policies. The UNHCR alone could not meet the challenges facing refugees; it needed support from the international community. All governments should fulfil their obligations under the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol. The international community should also join in efforts to eliminate the root causes of refugee problems and to prevent new large-scale refugee outflows.
She welcomed the conclusions of the Executive Committee of the UNHCR on voluntary repatriation and on the need to respect the principle of non- refoulement. The vast majority of refugees in the world today were concentrated in poor countries. The international community should understand the difficulties encountered and the sacrifices made by developing countries which granted asylum. It should support their efforts, share their burden and actively seek lasting solutions to refugee problems. She expressed the hope that the proposed reform of the United Nations would strengthen the coordination between the UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies and improve the United Nations humanitarian system as a whole. At the same time, the UNHCR should continue to adhere strictly to its humanitarian and non-political role. It should adopt a very careful attitude towards those issues which were not within the scope of its mandate, so as not to hurt the prestige it had established over the years. She expressed appreciation to the UNHCR for its efforts to repatriate Indo-Chinese refugees in China.
ALLADI RAJ KUMAR (India) said international cooperation and assistance was required to address the situation of refugees today. Conflicts were increasingly harsh and internal in nature. The resulting refugee flows created a complex ethnic tapestry in the affected areas, most of which were already burdened developing countries. The constantly changing impact of social changes on ethnic identities in the regions compounded the problem. While assistance was forthcoming and well-intentioned, it was not always well- informed.
Refugees seeking asylum faced either uncertain environments in host countries or repatriation to countries where they were in danger or which were devastated by conflict, he said. Host countries, mainly developing countries with a tradition of providing refuge, were forced to choose between fundamental humanitarian principles and the threats to their stability posed by large refugee populations. Humanitarian agencies were forced to choose between untenable options, and aid workers caught in conflicts were trapped between concern for the protection of refugees and their own vulnerability.
Since States were caught between providing minimum protection to refugees and their own legitimate security concerns, remedial measures must be universal, he said. There must be an open, transparent and multilateral process which took account of the interests of all States equally and the
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international character of the problem. Both receiving countries and those of origin should shoulder the burden, and special attention must be given to capacity-building in the affected countries.
GILBERT TROUTET (Canada) said that UNHCR was first and foremost a humanitarian organization, dedicated to the cause of refugees. There should be no doubt about its real mission and the non-political nature of the work of its people in the field. Allegations recently made against the organization detracted from its work, threatening the safety of its staff and that of other humanitarian agencies. Canada stood behind the UNHCR in its desire to work with countries that had serious refugee problems and to re-establish a basis for real cooperation with them. The best interests of the refugees should be taken into account in a continuing open dialogue with receiving countries.
The current difficult period was not a time to question the international instruments which applied to refugees and the basic principles on which they were based, he said. On the contrary, those instruments should be adhered to and their provisions implemented. That applied in particular to the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol, which remained the basis for the international refugee protection system. At the same time, the need for protection must be constantly reinterpreted in light of new situations that put individuals or entire populations in danger. The Convention and its Protocol remained flexible enough to respond to the new situations. Despite the difficult situations she had to face, the High Commissioner had been able to show great leadership in the cause of refugees and had demonstrated the courage to make the necessary decisions. Now more than ever, the UNHCR needed the support of Member States, which must have the political will to work with the High Commissioner so that UNHCR would be able to perform the task of providing international protection and implementing lasting solutions.
CLAUDIA FRITSCHE (Liechtenstein) said that more than 75 percent of refugees and displaced persons were women and children. Both groups were particularly vulnerable. The UNHCR's main responsibility was to protect refugees. At the heart of that responsibility was the provision of freedom from assault. It was a matter of great concern that the safety of humanitarian aid workers was increasingly threatened, even as working conditions worsened.
It was unacceptable that humanitarian relief workers should become targets while trying to help people, she said. Therefore, General Assembly debate in May on the protection of humanitarian assistance to refugees and others in conflict situations was most welcome. Also welcome was the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, but the scope of its application must be broadened.
MERCEDES PARODI (Argentina) said her country had provided support and facilities to its regional UNHCR office. With respect to refugees, Argentina favoured the approach of promoting peace so as to avoid conflicts, while
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pursuing lasting solutions. National instruments and legislation must be strengthened, and other countries should be brought in when necessary to help solve conflict situations.
SARAYOOT KALAYANAMIT (Thailand) said his country had about 140,000 refugees and displaced persons, in addition to about 700,000 illegal workers. Only a handful could be repatriated, given the prevailing situations in their countries of origin. Despite adverse circumstances, his Government adhered to its humanitarian tradition of granting temporary shelter to those who had fled fighting. It would not allow any armed elements or combatants to use Thai territory as a staging area for conducting activities detrimental to other countries.
He said Thailand was bearing host costs relating to administration and personnel, environmental degradation, epidemic control, the displacement of affected Thai villagers, and the pyschological impact on the local population. There were cross-border attacks and threats to Thailand's territorial integrity. The most viable solution for refugees and displaced persons was for them to return home and serve as productive members of their societies. Where conditions permitted, safe return should be undertaken, and material incentive for return should be provided as an inducement for reintegration, based on agreements between countries and agencies.
Current measures for dealing with situations of mass exodus were still oriented to the short-term, he said. There was a need for long-term contingency plans to cope with future incidents of mass exodus, such as the establishment of relief transit centres in countries of origin, with a permanent international presence for protection and relief assistance at locations where logistics would not be a problem.
WALTER FULLEMANN, of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said that in the course of this year, the ICRC had pursued its work of providing protection and assistance to all victims of war, including persons displaced within their own country. In the Great Lakes region, operations were carried out in inhospitable terrain, from Kivu to Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Information was also given on the ICRC's work in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Colombia.
International humanitarian law attached great importance to the question of civilians displaced within their own country, he said. In view of the massive violations of humanitarian law currently being witnessed, great efforts were needed to ensure that it was better respected. That would prevent many instances of forced displacement. In order to guarantee efficient coordination and more coherent action by the various humanitarian organizations in the field, constant consultation between those organizations was important. Such consultation could significantly contribute to reducing the risks encountered by humanitarian personnel.
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The increasing number of serious incidents affecting humanitarian personnel was a source of growing concern, he said. Such attacks negated the very foundation of assistance and protection work. It was a problem that concerned everyone and required concerted action. The matter would be on the agenda of the meeting of States parties to the Geneva Convention to take place in January 1998. The autonomy of humanitarian action must be preserved, as that was the only way for it to maintain its neutrality and independence. That enabled it to safeguard the dignity of every individual and to alleviate the suffering endured by victims. The ICRC valued its close relationship with UNHCR and had maintained ongoing dialogue with that organization on every level.
ROGER STEPHEN BALL (New Zealand) paid tribute to the UNHCR's work in coping with one of the greatest refugee challenges of our time -- the repatriation of refugees dispersed throughout the Great Lakes region in Central Africa. The dangers faced by humanitarian workers in that region highlighted the need to extend international legal protection to those engaged in humanitarian assistance. It was time to explore the means by which greater protection might be offered to such personnel. New Zealand supported the High Commissioner's recent decision to suspend some of UNHCR's operations in the Great Lakes region and deeply regretted the violation of international humanitarian principles which led to that decision.
He urged Member States to cooperate with UNHCR to the fullest so that refugees could be protected, assisted and, wherever possible, repatriated. New Zealand accepted its responsibility to contribute to the international protection of refugees. In addition to evaluating asylum-seekers and providing protection to those who met the criteria for refugee status under the United Nations Conventions, his country accepted an annual quota of refugees mandated by UNHCR as requiring priority resettlement. In both situations, the expertise and support provided by UNHCR must be acknowledged.
DONKA GLIGOROVA (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) said her country had been confronted with the problem of refugees since the outbreak of war on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Since 1992, more than 36,000 registered refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina had found temporary homes in her country and the actual number was around 60,000. Each refugee was provided with shelter, food, health care and education, and had complete freedom of movement and religious expression. None had been expelled to their country of origin or to a third country. That represented a tremendous challenge to the country, but with UNHCR's assistance and that of a large number of countries, it was able to provide a secure temporary home for the refugees. With the signing of the Dayton peace accord in 1995, a long and continuous process of repatriation and local integration had begun, which was still underway.
The developments in Somalia, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, the former Yugoslavia and the Great Lakes region were a clear warning to the international community
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that a more innovative and comprehensive approach to the problem of refugees was needed, she said. Integration of refugees in their countries of asylum, resettlement to third countries and repatriation required respect for refugees' basic human rights, the restoration of justice, and the implementation of international standards. There was also a need for development programmes for devastated areas.
BADRI ALI BOGOREH (Djibouti) said that many of the countries involved with refugees were poor and living under difficult conditions. Conferences helped, but the best solution was prevention, as well as a cure for the marginalization which led to the situations which were ultimately responsible for the creation of refugees. Africa had many problems, but much progress had been made because of efforts of West African countries. In eastern Africa, especially the Horn, the situation in Somalia called to the world; despite the hope of progress there, the massive return of refugees remained far off.
Since independence, Djibouti had been a host to refugees, despite its lack of resources, he said. In urban centres, the number of refugees had increased, along with such problems as crime. While the disproportion of displaced persons and refugees was a problem, progress was being made. He expressed the hope that additional international support would be forthcoming.
WILLIAM BULL (Liberia) said that when he last addressed the Committee, the situation in his country still revolved around efforts to end its civil war. Today, as a result of the 1996 Ajuba Agreement and the ensuing elections, a new Government had been inaugurated. The repatriation of Liberian refugees and the resettlement of internally displaced persons were priorities for the new Government in its efforts to reconstruct and socially rehabilitate the country. A focus on the human dimension gave impetus to development objectives. The early return of refugees and their reintegration into productive activities was adding stimulus to the revitalization of the economy. It was also enhancing national reconciliation.
Voluntary repatriation was the preferred way to ameliorate the refugee crisis, he said. The numbers of internally displaced persons worldwide continued to grow as conflicts became more intense and escape became impossible. Also, there were new obstacles to obtaining asylum. National policies resulting in refoulement and other restrictive measures prevented bona-fide refugees and stateless persons from seeking refugee status and the benefits associated with it. The UNHCR must continue holding consultations with States to resolve such emerging issues.
The phenomenon of refugees and displaced persons had a negative effect on the development of the African continent, he said. Moreover, conflicts and wars drove away the human resources needed to meet development objectives. That trend must to be reversed through international support and a commitment by the affected countries to address the root causes of the problems.
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ANDREI A. NIKIFOROV (Russian Federation) said that implementing the platform of action of the CIS Conference was a priority for his country. A lack of financial resources limited implementation, but new laws on citizenship and enforced migration had kept down the flow of refugees in the region. The massive dislocations of people in his country would not end before the end of the century. It was important to focus on preventive meaures.
The Russian Federation was providing many resources and services to migrants, from health and shelter to activities aimed at helping them adjust to their current situation, he said. Closer coordination between United Nations bodies and regional groups was needed. A draft resolution to be introduced by his country would contain a number of proposals on the matter.
PARK SOO GIL (Republic of Korea) said despite the declining figures of the number of refugees worldwide, vast numbers of people continued to flee their homes and lived in fear of persecution and violence, as was the case in the Great Lakes region. Such displacement had undermined peace and stability at both the regional and international levels and must be addressed. The growing tendency toward restrictive asylum policies in some parts of the world, including border closures and interdiction, was a cause for concern. The concept of temporary protection should be considered as a viable means to accommodate the legitimate concerns of States, while upholding the inalienable human rights of defenceless refugees.
A fundamental solution lay in the reintegration of refugees into local communities, he said. The Republic of Korea supported UNHCR's "quick impact project", which provided immediate assistance to returning refugees. In the reintegration process, effective coordination was essential among the various humanitarian and development agencies, donor governments, international financial institutions, non-governmental organizations and the refugees themselves, so as to ensure a meaningful continuum from relief to development.
The protection of women and children refugees called for special attention, he went on to say. In the past few years, countless women and children had been forced to flee conflict environments and often found themselves in even more precarious situations. The UNHCR's initiatives to establish a reference group for refugee women and its worldwide evaluation of programmes concerning refugee children and adolescents was welcome. Global stability and development depended on the containment of forced migration. International solidarity and burden-sharing must be the basis for a comprehensive new approach to the problem.
JENO C.A. STAEHELIN, observer for Switzerland, said the worldwide decrease in the number of refugees was a welcome development which could be the start of a new trend. Voluntary repatriation was the best solution to the problem of refugees. The UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations faced many obstacles in the Great Lakes region, where the militarization of refugee
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camps was a major issue. Separating armed refugees from genuine refugees was a military rather than a humanitarian task. The experience in the Great Lakes region had led the international community to consider the relationship between humanitarian and political questions. Evaluations of that experience could help to identify the best response to such a situation in the future.
In its efforts to reintegrate refugees, the UNHCR should be assisted by other development and financial agencies, he said. There should be memorandums of understanding between UNHCR and its partners to provide the basis for multilateral cooperation based on the principle of comparative advantage. The Secretary-General's attempt to improve inter-agency cooperation was welcome, as it was important to have better coordination within and between organizations in the United Nations system. Tribute must be paid to the UNHCR's staff and those of other organizations who had lost their lives carrying out humanitarian work. The international community should reflect on the best ways to protect the security of humanitarian staff.
ABDUSSALAM A. SERGIWA (Libya) said that despite the overall decrease in the number of refugees, refuge problems were increasing, particularly in Africa, where host countries were severely burdened. That was in addition to such basic problems as natural disasters, to which the region was vulnerable.
Addressing the section of the High Comissioner's report dealing with the situation at the Egyptian-Libyan border, he said Libya had not forced any Palestinians to leave its territory. The policy of not forcing Palestinians out of the country was in keeping with Libya's national responsibility to the Palestinian people. The people mentioned in the report, who had settled on the border between Libya and Egypt, were people who had wanted to go home. When Israel refused to let them return to their homes, Libya had provided assistance and medications.
ESTHER MSHAI TOLLE (Kenya) said it was common knowledge that most situations which generataed refugees resulted in armed refugees crossing to the asylum country. The arms in their possession then ended up in the wrong hands, causing security problems in both the refugee camps and the host country in general. Such situations had to be avoided at all costs to prevent serious instability. Kenya would continue playing a leading role in seeking a lasting solution to the refugee problems facing the continent.
Kenya was host to thousands of refugees and had to stretch meagre resources to accommodate them, she said. Regrettably, some had abused its hospitality, causing problems of insecurity. In the past year, the UNHCR and international humanitarian officials also became targets while performing their duties in the affected areas. Voluntary repatriation was the best durable solution to the refugee problem, she said. However, that required integration and rehabilitation programmes in the areas to which the refugees were returning.
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"Experience has shown that dropping a refugee into a country of origin with a few hundred dollars and a bag of rations is not enough", she said. The greatest humanitarian challenge was diminishing resources. Of late, donor fatigue had become an alarming phenomenon and asylum countries were having to make enormous material and moral contributions for those in need. "The current dynamics of society will shape the world of tomorrow. It is a collective responsibility to address the refugee situation with vision.
DALILA SAMAH (Algeria) said solutions should be sought for millions of people who were refugees, and the causes that forced them to seek asylum far from their homes should be addressed. The decline in the number of refugees was minute compared to the number which remained under UNHCR's responsibility. The overwhelming majority of refugees were on the African continent and lived in destitute circumstances. Humanitarian organizations alone could not cope with the problems of refugees and displaced persons. The international community should mobilize to increase its contribution to assist people in distress and to help the UNHCR. Vital financial and material means were needed to assist people who were repatriated. Otherwise, the world would face a humanitarian catastrophe of great proportions.
She said that the needs of the huge refugee population in Africa, the majority of whom were women, were enormous. Citing Algeria's tradition of hospitality, she said her country had given asylum to Sahouri people until there was a final solution to the conflict in Western Sahara. Assistance had also been given to the displaced persons of Mali and Niger.
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