Sahrawi refugee children join summer Vacaciones en Paz programme across Spanish cities

During July and August, around 60 Sahrawi children aged eight to twelve from the Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria arrived in several Spanish cities for the "Vacaciones en Paz" programme. In Alcalá de Henares, the municipal council welcomed 24 children at the cultural centre La Galatea, while 28 youngsters were received in Lleida and 12 in Segovia, where they will stay with host families.

The initiative, running since the early 2000s, is coordinated by local Amigos del Pueblo Saharaui associations together with the Polisario Front delegations in Spain and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. It provides the children with safe accommodation, medical check‑ups, balanced nutrition, language lessons and the chance to experience a normal summer away from the extreme desert heat.

Alcalá’s councilor Esther de Andrés said the programme “will be an unforgettable experience for the children and also for the host families,” highlighting the lasting bonds formed between the two communities.