Algeria
1.1 Algeria Humanitarian Background

Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

Natural Hazards

Type

Occurs

Comments / Details

Drought

Yes

The Algerian territory covers an area of 2,381,000 km2, of which 80% of this area corresponds to a desert area where rainfall is almost zero.. The issue of water in the country is a major concern, and water resources are becoming increasingly scarce and its distribution throughout the country is uneven.

Earthquakes

Yes

There have been large earthquakes with strengths of more than 7.0 on the Richter scale, which cause damages within a radius of over 100 kilometres. Since 1950 more than 8,800 people have died by direct consequences of earthquakes, of which five earthquakes had also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lives and damages.

Epidemics

Yes

Two typhoid outbreaks have taken place. The first was in Tenia City in 1991 and affected 204 persons. The second took place in Oued Rhiou, Wilama of Relizane in 1997 and affected 364 persons.

Extreme Temperatures

Yes

Temperatures may vary from less than 0° C to 50° C in the Saharan region. On 6 June 2003, the temperature reached 47° C in Adrar province caused the death of 40 persons.

Flooding

Yes

Flooding occurs every year throughout the country resulting to casualties. A particularly well known incident occurred in 2001 in Algiers’ Bab El Oued District, which killed 751 (700 in Algiers alone) people and affected up to 10,000 families.

Insect Infestation

Yes

The last locust infestation was reported on October 1987 in Tindouf. 

Mudslides

Yes

On 10 November 2001, torrential rain and strong winds caused mudslides and floods in Algiers ’Bab El Oued District. Up to 10,000 families were affected, and 751 people were killed, out of which 700 deaths were in Algiers alone.

Volcanic Eruptions

No

N/A

High Waves / Surges

No

N/A

Wildfires

Yes

The last reported incident was reported in September 2007, with a forest fire in the Tzarifet forest in Tlemcen province caused by a heat wave. The forest fire caused 8 deaths.

High Winds

No

N/A

Other Comments

N/A

Man-Made Issues

Civil Strife

Yes

The 2019-2020 Algerian protests began on 16 February 2019, six days after Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his candidacy for a fifth presidential term. These protests led to Bouteflika’s immediate resignation on 2 April 2019.

International Conflict

No

N/A

Internally Displaced Persons

No

N/A

Refugees Present

Yes

Algeria has hosted refugees from Western Sahara since 1975. The Sahrawi refugees lived in five camps near the town of Tindouf in Western Algeria, characterized by extreme heat and very low rainfall. The harsh and isolated desert environment provided limited livelihood and economic opportunities, leaving the refugees highly dependent on humanitarian assistance.

Landmines / UXO Present

No

N/A

Other Comments

N/A

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Country Profile.


Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

Seasonal Effects on Transport

Transport Type

Time Frame

Comments / Details

Primary Road Transport

None

N/A

Secondary Road Transport

None

N/A

Rail Transport

None

N/A

Air Transport

None

N/A

Waterway Transport

None

N/A


The climate of Algeria varies considerably from north to south. The coastal area has a Mediterranean climate, while the highlands south of the coast have hot summers and cold winters with little rain. In large parts of the country there are significant changes between daytime and night-time temperatures. Further south, the Sahara Desert begins with even more extreme differences in temperatures between day and night.


Seasonal Effects on Storage and Handling

Activity Type

Time Frame

Comments / Details

Storage

No

N/A

Handling

Yes

The extreme temperatures in the Sahara during the summer may lead a reduction of working hours and reduced productivity of the workers.

Other

N/A

N/A

The seasons’ effects on storage is minimal. For the handling, the working hours and the effectiveness of the workers are likely to be affected by the extremely high temperatures.


Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

A significant part of Algeria’s territory is exposed to earthquakes, flooding, drought, forest fires, landslides, locust infestation, and the risk of tsunamis. More than 90 per cent of the country’s population lives along a coast that accounts for only 12 per cent of the country’s landmass. Dense urban settlements coupled with migration, poverty, unemployment, and a housing crisis make most of the population vulnerable to a nexus of natural and socio-economic hazards.

 In the aftermath of the 1980 El Asnam earthquake which caused 2633 deaths, 8369 injuries, 29,747 destroyed houses and made 478,949 people homeless, Algeria finalized a national construction code by 1983.The national government adopted a disaster reduction and management plan in 1985 and dedicated technical capacities for the development and dissemination of seismic knowledge, monitoring, and in-depth research by 1987.

In 2004 the country adopted the Law on Prevention of Major Risks and Disaster Management, and the National Scheme for Land Use Planning (SNAT), which was later updated in 2010 with risk-sensitive provisions for land management and urban planning. In 2004, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development also issued new seismic regulations for structures.

Since 2005the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has acted as a principal ally to improve Algeria’s institutional capacities. With the Government of Algeria, UNDP initiated a first national disaster risk management (DRM) project with a focus on developing local capacities and technical know-how for DRR across nine wilayas (districts). During this period, bilateral and regional cooperation was also initiated to further strengthen national capacities for DRR.

The Délégation nationale aux risques majeurs (National Delegation for Major Risks), appointed as of 2012, is now coordinating multiple sectors to reduce major risks across Algeria’s territory.


For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.


Humanitarian Community

For the last thirty years, the majority of Sahrawi refugees have lived spread over four camps located around Tindouf in the South-Western part of Algeria. This refugee population is dependent on international aid.

Several humanitarian agencies are present in the field to support the refugees, among them UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, ECHO, OXFAM, Spanish Red Cross, and Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli (CISP). The Algerian partner for these agencies is the Algerian Red Crescent.

UNHCR’s purpose is to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge from war and persecution. UNHCR also protects stateless people and pays attention to the needs of children and seeks to promote the equal rights of women and girls.

In 2019, WFP distributed almost 134,000 in-kind rations to meet the basic food and nutritional needs of food-insecure refugees.

UNICEF, in partnership with the government promotes respect for the rights of children and adolescents in Algeria.


For more information on humanitarian agency contact details, please see the following link: 4.2 Humanitarian Agency Contact List.


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