Flights to reunite families in Western Sahara who have been separated for nearly forty years are due to resume in April the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, announced on Wednesday.

The flights from Algeria and Mauritania to Western Sahara are part of the agency’s confidence-building measures to support people involved in one of the world’s most protracted refugee situations.

Western Sahara was administered by Spain until 1976, which was then claimed by neighbouring countries, Morocco and Mauritania.

Families originating from the territory have been separated because of the absence of a political solution that would allow them to return to their places of origin.

Patrick Maigua asked Dan McNorton of UNCHR about the significance of the resumed flights.

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