Abstract
Since the early 1990s, Spanish humanitarian associations have welcomed Saharawi children from the refugee camps in Tindouf (Argelia). These children are the most affected by the lack of food, water, hygienic measures and health care. The main objective of this study was to analyze the anthropometric, nutritional and parasitological data of 38 Saharawi boys and girls (from 10 to 13 years old) under a holiday host program in the city of Valencia. Our results confirm that malnutrition and multiparasitism are highly frequent, so it is understood that living conditions in refugee camps continue to be precarious with a lack of proper hygiene and nutrition. Furthermore, biochemical alterations, lactose malabsorption and the risk of celiac disease, also detected in our study as a secondary objective, will complicate nutritional management and restoration of health. For this reason, sustainable feeding alternatives and interventions from a hygienic and nutritional point of view are proposed, emphasizing in an improvement in the education of parents and children.
Highlights
Western Sahara, located in the African continent, is bordered in the north by Morocco, in the south by Mauritania, in the east by Algeria, and in the west by the Atlantic Ocean
The most frequent analytical alterations occurred at the enzymological level in transaminases (ALAT and ASAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
It should be noted that intestinal parasitosis is a contributing factor to malnutrition and iron deficiency; it is common to find problems such as anemia, celiac disease and growth retardation among the child population
Summary
Western Sahara, located in the African continent, is bordered in the north by Morocco, in the south by Mauritania, in the east by Algeria, and in the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Saharawi families have been staying in the Tindouf (Algeria) camps for 43 years (since 1976), waiting for a political agreement allowing them to return to the Sahara. It should be noted that these camps distributed in the Algerian desert are located in one of the most inhospitable and arid areas of the world, with very harsh living conditions with a situation of total dependence on humanitarian aid. They lack vegetation and animals for their sustainability, as well as electrical installation and running water. Food depends almost entirely on the help of international organizations that provide long-lasting staple foods, such as starch-rich foods and legumes, but few fresh vegetables and fruits, which is causing the double burden of malnutrition: overweight households versus those with malnutrition [2]
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