Two women chose to stay in Morocco after UN-sponsored visit exchange program with Polisario camps

Two sisters who benefited from the family visit exchange program between Moroccan southern provinces and the Polisario-controled camps in southern Algeria have decided to stay in Morocco and called the international community and non-governmental organizations to help lift the siege imposed on those sequestered in the camps.

Mrs Lghalia Lhzam who decided with her sister and their children to stay in Morocco denounced in a statement to MAP the tragic and harsh living conditions in the camps where the Algeria-backed polisario secessionists are sequestering Moroccans.

The woman, who gave birth to a child during the visit, said she told the UNHCR which is organizing the exchange of visits between families in the Moroccan southern provinces and relatives in the camps of her decision to stay together with her sister and their children in Dakhla.

Their stay in Dakhla was part of the second phase of the UN family visit exchange program that was first started in March with trips organized to and from Laayoune before being extended to Dakhla and to Smara on Friday.