Adala UK expresses deep concern over the continued illegal exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara by the Moroccan occupying power and the worsening humanitarian situation facing Saharawi refugees. Recent developments underscore a dual injustice: the enrichment of Morocco and foreign actors through extractive activities in the occupied territory, and the deprivation and suffering of the Saharawi population, many of whom remain dependent on diminishing international aid.

1. Exploitation of Renewable Energy Under Occupation

The Sahrawi Observatory for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (SONREP) launched its latest annual report under the title: “Sustainability for Whom? Renewable Energy and Environmental Justice under Occupation.” The report, unveiled during an international virtual conference with legal and environmental experts, provides compelling evidence of how Morocco is weaponizing renewable energy projects to consolidate its illegal presence in Western Sahara.

The report details the rapid expansion of wind farms, solar installations, and green hydrogen facilities, all established without the free, prior, and informed consent of the Saharawi people. This constitutes a serious breach of international law, including the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources and landmark decisions by both the European Court of Justice and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. These courts have reaffirmed that Morocco has no sovereignty or administering power over Western Sahara, and that any economic activity conducted there without Saharawi consent is legally void.

Key findings from the SONREP report include:

• Renewable energy projects are designed to benefit Moroccan state interests and private foreign companies, while deliberately excluding the indigenous Saharawi population from economic participation.
• Employment generated by these projects disproportionately favors Moroccan settlers, contributing to demographic manipulation—a practice prohibited under Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
• Green hydrogen initiatives, which require intensive water usage, threaten the fragile ecosystem and endanger water security in a region already suffering from scarcity.

The report also exposes the complicity of foreign governments and corporations—particularly European actors—who continue to partner with Morocco in these ventures, rendering themselves accountable for violations of international humanitarian and environmental law.

SONREP calls on the international community to immediately suspend all energy-related activities in Western Sahara that do not comply with the Saharawi people’s right to consent and self-determination. The Observatory has also formally relaunched itself as a Saharawi institution dedicated to monitoring ecological violations and advocating for environmental justice under occupation.

2. Deepening Humanitarian Emergency in the Saharawi Refugee Camps

Simultaneously, the humanitarian situation in the Saharawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, has reached alarming new lows. On June 25, 2025, UN agencies and major donors convened in Algiers to review the deteriorating conditions and assess the results of a new nutrition survey led by University College London, supported by the Italian NGO CISP, the Algerian Red Crescent, and Saharawi authorities.

The survey, conducted with support from UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, WHO, and UNDP, reveals:

• A Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate of 13.6%—the highest since 2010 and above the World Health Organization’s emergency threshold.
• One in three children suffering from stunted growth.
• Over 65% of children and nearly 70% of women of reproductive age suffering from anemia.
• Only 25% of households demonstrating acceptable levels of dietary diversity.

These figures confirm a dangerous trend first observed in 2019 and 2022. Mr. Yahia Bouhobeini, President of the Saharawi Red Crescent, noted that compounding factors—including the COVID-19 pandemic, the resumption of armed conflict, global inflation, and sharp increases in food costs—have overwhelmed existing humanitarian mechanisms.

Despite increasing needs, donor support has fallen far short. In 2024, $23 million in funding covered only 62% of essential food, nutrition, and school meal programmes. For 2025, only 34% of the $103.9 million required under the humanitarian response plan has been secured.

UN Resident Coordinator in Algeria, Ms. Savina Ammassari, described the situation as “the worst nutrition emergency in more than a decade,” warning of devastating long-term consequences if urgent action is not taken.

3. UK Government Position and the Legitimisation of Occupation

In light of these developments, Adala UK has formally addressed a letter to the Rt Hon David Lammy MP, the newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary, in response to the UK’s joint communiqué with Morocco in which the government describes Morocco’s 2007 autonomy proposal as the “most credible, viable and pragmatic” solution to the conflict.

Adala UK strongly rejects this position, warning that it undermines the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and risks legitimising an illegal occupation in contravention of international law. This marks a concerning departure from the UK’s traditional position of neutrality on Western Sahara and stands in contradiction to the UK’s broader commitments to democratic principles and international legality.

The letter reiterates that Western Sahara remains a Non-Self-Governing Territory under UN supervision, and that no trade or economic activity should be undertaken there without the express consent of the Saharawi people. It also highlights ongoing and well-documented human rights violations in the occupied territories, including arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, and the repression of peaceful assembly.

4. Recommendations

Adala UK calls on the UK Government and the international community to:

1. Reaffirm the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination, and support a free and fair UN-supervised referendum to determine the political future of Western Sahara.
2. Suspend all trade and economic activities in Western Sahara that are conducted without the consent of the Saharawi people, including renewable energy and resource extraction projects.
3. Hold accountable all foreign entities and governments complicit in the illegal exploitation of Saharawi resources.
4. Respond urgently to the humanitarian crisis in the refugee camps by addressing funding shortfalls and expanding access to nutrition, healthcare, and education services.
5. Integrate human rights monitoring mechanisms into any political or economic engagement involving the Western Sahara territory.

Conclusion

The situation in Western Sahara illustrates a clear case of structural injustice: a people denied their political rights, deprived of economic agency, and subjected to humanitarian neglect while their resources are exploited by a foreign power and its allies. There can be no sustainable development under occupation, no climate justice without decolonisation, and no lasting peace without respect for international law.

Adala UK remains committed to advocating for the Saharawi people’s rights to self-determination, justice, and dignity, and calls on the UK and all responsible governments to do the same.

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