ALGERIA (Sahrawi refugees)

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Water, hygiene and sanitation

FUNDING

• Funding: ECHO (Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission)

Rehabilitation of the following medical structures: Aoussert, El Aioun and Dakhla health centres and psychiatric hospital (aka « Hôpital du 12 Octobre »); Rabouni national hospital and dispensary (aka « Dispensaire du 27 fèvrier »).

Country and region of implementation:
ALGERIA, South of Tindouf - Dakhla, Aoussert, El Aioun, Smara, « 27 Février », « 12 Octobre » and Rabouni Saharawi Refugee Camps.

Context:

On February the 9th, 10th and in the early hours of the 11th, torrential rains pounded down on refugee camps in the the desert region of Tindouf in western Algeria.

In Aoussert (Awserd), Smara, El Aioun (Laayoune) and « 27 Février » refugee camps, the non-stop rains and mud-flow considerably damaged the mud-brick dwellings, leaving the refugees in urgent need of aid.

The local Saharawi authorities, the UNHCR, PAM and various NGOs and reported this emergency and the destruction of many shelters leading to the evacuation of thousands of refugees.

People whose homes had been destroyed or heavily damaged took refuge on higher levels of the camps while the torrent stole away most of their belongings (blankets, mattresses, clothes, food items, etc.) and ruined sanitary facilities along with collective and individual water reserves.

Specific objectives of programme:

• Help to restore the sanitary infrastructures damaged during the February 2006 floods in the Aoussert
  and El Aioun wilayas, the « 27 Février » school, the « 12 Octobre » and Rabouni hospitals
• Help to improve the hygiene conditions in the Daïra dispensaries of Dakhla wilaya, and in the regional
  hospitals of Dakhla and El Aioun.

Programme Phases:
Assessment
Methodology

The methodology was based on direct assessment with an inspection of the sanitary installations impacted by
flooding. Representatives of the supervisory authority (Ministry of Health) were also met.
A civil engineer ran this assessment.

Results of the assessment
As well as destroying individual shelters, the rains had ruined many health structures. Mud-brick (Toube) buildings could not resist three days of torrential rains.

The health centres suffered to various degrees.
Structures concerned were located as follows:

*Wilaya of Aoussert:

1. Agouinite Daïra
2. El Techla Daïra
3. El Gouira Daïra
4. Bir Guendouze Daïra
5. Mijek Daïra
6. Zogue Daïra

*Wilaya of El Aioun:

1. Daoura Daïra
2. Hagounia Daïra
3. El Guelta Daïra
4. Boukraa Daïra
5. Dchira Daïra
6. Mgala Daïra

*« 12 Octobre » (Psychiatric hospital).
*The « 27 Février » camps (dispensary).
*The medical staff's rest room in the national hospital of Rabouni.

Main cause for the buildings' collapse:

1. Use of mud-brick (Toube) for the walls
2. Quality of construction
3. Age of the buildings: 90% were built towards the end of the 70s.

Buildings that had resisted also represented a major risk for the population:
the waters running through these buildings had considerably weakened them and they could collapse at any time on their occupants.

This project included improvement of the hygiene conditions in other medical structures such as the dispensaries and the regional hospital of Dakhla wilaya.

*Wilaya of Dakhla:

1. Bir Enzaran Daïra
2. Ain el Beida Daïra
3. Gleibat el Fulah Daïra
4. Bujdur Daïra
5. Umdreiga Daïra
6. Jerefiya Daïra
7. Argoub Daïra

Among other tasks, Triangle was assigned the realisation of a septic tank for the regional hospital in El Aioun wilaya.

Allocation of this market took place via a negotiation procedure. The Specs were presented to 8 contractors from Tindouf wilaya, four of whom made an offer.

The contractor providing the best offer in financial, administrative and quality-based terms was chosen by the opening of tenders and selection commission

Tasks executed:

The health centres of all El Aioun and Aoussert Daïras and of the « 27 Février » school:

• Re-roofing to improve watertightness, lastingly
• Installation of a suspended ceiling
• Repair coating on exterior and interior walls to avoid any infiltration that might weaken the earth structure
• Renewal of exterior and interior paint
• Installation of new doors and windows (with metallic protection)
• Implementation of concrete covering in the inside courtyard, to limit dust, increase water outflow and thus improve overall hygiene
• Creation or renovation of work benches in the treatment rooms
• Implementation of in washrooms
• Execution of piping system to guarantee water supply in the toilets and treatment rooms.

Rabouni national hospital:

• Repair coating on exterior and interior walls to avoid any infiltration that might
  weaken the earth
• structure Installation of new doors and windows (with metallic protection)
• Re-roofing to improve the roof's impermeability, lastingly
• Renewal of exterior and interior paint
• Rehabilitation of electric system
• Rehabilitation of sanitary and plumbing installations

« 12 Octobre » psychiatric hospital:

• Repair coating on the damaged exterior and interior walls, to avoid any infiltration weakening the earth structure
• Renewal of exterior and interior paint, including in the kitchen
• Installation of new doors and windows (with metallic protection)
• Re-roofing to improve the roof's impermeability, lastingly
• Rehabilitation of sanitary installations

Dispensaries of the Daïras in Dakhla wilaya:

• Construction of latrines built with cement blocks, plus water supply

Dakhla regional hospital:

• Supply of a mobile water tank equipped to pump out the septic tank
• Construction of a new water reservoir

El Aioun regional hospital:

• Construction of a septic tank for wastewater treatment.