Analysis of daily occupations and engagement in Sahrawi refugee camps

ABSTRACT

Given the conditions under which they live, the Sahrawi refugee population in the Algerian Hamada region are deprived of taking part in social, health, and economic systems, leading to occupational apartheid. This study applied the WHODAS 2.0 questionnaire to a total of 33 Sahrawi people of an average age of 39.3 years, living in different wilayas (large camps), with the purpose of learning about their health status and functioning in the past 30 days concerning cognition, mobility, self-care, social relations, life activities, and community participation. Overall, participants faced difficulties in terms of functioning (WHODAS 2.0), particularly in their daily occupations, and even more so in their social participation. This is explained both by the occupational deprivation and apartheid they have faced for more than 40 years due to their refugee status, and by the sociopolitical factors involved, in addition to their full dependence on humanitarian aid. Accordingly, the environment and context of the Sahrawi population are particularly important in terms of their engagement in occupations.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational science
• Disability
• Health
• Social participation
• ICF

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Correction

View translated version:

Análisis del funcionamiento y participación en las actividades de la vida diaria en los campamentos de refugiados saharauis

Análisis del funcionamiento y participación en las actividades de la vida diaria en los campamentos de refugiados saharauis

Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the Asociación Asturiana de Solidaridad con el Pueblo Saharaui and the Delegación Saharaui en Asturias for supporting this type of research. They also extend their gratitude to all the people that participated in the study and to the Sahrawi population at large for their trust and hospitality, and for always being a model of strength and resistance.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declare that there are no potential conflicts of interest related to this article.