This photographic essay focuses on the everyday life of the Western Sahara people who fled in exile to Algeria after the Moroccan occupation of their country in 1975. After forty-five years in exile, nearly 200,000 refugees were struggling to survive in that inhospitable part of the Great Desert. The ongoing conflict between Morocco and Western Sahara started in 1975 when Spain finished his sovereignty in the Western Sahara. 


The task of creating a new life in exile fell to women as men are defending the liberated zones in Western Sahara. The family is reunited once every two months when the men return to the camps for a twenty days break. Women have formed organized camps structures for health systems, education and also play an important role in the political process. In addition, they have to raise the family with an average between four to six children at the age of thirty-five. 


The families displaced to Algeria face the extreme environmental conditions with temperatures passing fifty degrees in summer time and frequent sand storms. The lack of food, medicines and water made them to rely on international humanitarian aid. New generations born in exile have the opportunity to study abroad as education is very important for the Saharawi people. 


The programmes funded by countries as Libya, Cuba or Algeria allows children to study a degree but they return to the camps after finish their studies. However, young generations are struggling by limited possibilities and difficult living conditions in the camps. The elder generations are aching to return to the beauty of their lands and their strength remains in the determination of people who have not given up hope to being reunited with their families again.

Daughters of the clouds - Western Sahara refugee camps, Tindouf (Algeria)
Western Sahara refugee camps, Tindouf (Algeria)
Daughters of the clouds - Nurses crossing the deserted Hamada on their way to work to Dahkla hospital in the refugee camps...
Nurses crossing the deserted Hamada on their way to work to Dahkla hospital in the refugee camps of Tindouf (Algeria). Sand storms called "Sirocco" are frequent in this inhospitable part of the Great Desert making very difficult the journey from their tents to the hospital
Daughters of the clouds - Mariam, Minister of Culture outside her tent in the Western Saharawi refugee camps of Tindouf,...
Mariam, Minister of Culture outside her tent in the Western Saharawi refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria. Saharawi women have played an essential role in running the camps from the beginning as men were defending the liberated zones of Western Sahara from Morocco forces.
Daughters of the clouds - Fatimatu Omar, who practises traditional medicine, finds more difficult her job since they have...
Fatimatu Omar, who practises traditional medicine, finds more difficult her job since they have to travel long distance from the refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria) to get their plants in the liberated Western Sahara called Tifariti.
Daughters of the clouds - Muemina, a 6 years old Saharawi refugee with her brother Mohamed Ali, aged 13 doing their...
Muemina, a 6 years old Saharawi refugee with her brother Mohamed Ali, aged 13 doing their homework at night.
Daughters of the clouds - Gadfa Yaacob makes some bread in the early hours of the day before attending her duties as a...
Gadfa Yaacob makes some bread in the early hours of the day before attending her duties as a teacher in Awserd primary school, Tindouf (Algeria).
Daughters of the clouds - A thirty fiveears old saharawi woman in the Western Sahara refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.
A thirty fiveears old saharawi woman in the Western Sahara refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.
Daughters of the clouds -
Daughters of the clouds - Zafia Mustafa Mohamed, a 6 years old Saharawi girl during her lessons at the Awserd primary...
Zafia Mustafa Mohamed, a 6 years old Saharawi girl during her lessons at the Awserd primary school in the refugee camps of Tindouf (Algeria). Refugee children attend primary school in the camps and by the aged of 12 they have the option to study either in Algeria or abroad. After finishing their studies they return to the camps to help their families.
Daughters of the clouds -
Daughters of the clouds - Women going to pray. Western Sahara refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria
Women going to pray. Western Sahara refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria
Daughters of the clouds - Safia Mustafa Mohamed, a six- year-old Saharawi refugee in the hills of the refugee camp of...
Safia Mustafa Mohamed, a six- year-old Saharawi refugee in the hills of the refugee camp of Awserd, Tindouf (Algeria)
Daughters of the clouds - A Saharawi refugee girl brings water to her tent at the refugee camp of Awserd, Tindouf...
A Saharawi refugee girl brings water to her tent at the refugee camp of Awserd, Tindouf (Algeria). Drinking water is brought to the refugee camps by lorries from Tindouf. The water is loaded in tanks in each of the four wilayas (districts) for their distribution to the Saharawi families
Daughters of the clouds - Refugee children eating icecream at the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.
Refugee children eating icecream at the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.
Daughters of the clouds - Sand storms called “Sirocco” are frequent in the Western Refugee camps in...
Sand storms called “Sirocco” are frequent in the Western Refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. The storms make life very difficult in the camps. Western Sahara refugees have lived here since the 1975 Morocco occupation of their lands
Daughters of the clouds - Children are the only ones who are outside the tents in the early hours of the afternoon, even in...
Children are the only ones who are outside the tents in the early hours of the afternoon, even in summer time when temperatures rise to 50 degrees
Daughters of the clouds - Children play football at the refugee camps of tindouf, Algeria    
Children play football at the refugee camps of tindouf, Algeria    
Daughters of the clouds
Western Sahara refugee camps, Tindouf (Algeria)
Daughters of the clouds
Nurses crossing the deserted Hamada on their way to work to Dahkla hospital in the refugee camps of Tindouf (Algeria). Sand storms called "Sirocco" are frequent in this inhospitable part of the Great Desert making very difficult the journey from their tents to the hospital
Daughters of the clouds
Mariam, Minister of Culture outside her tent in the Western Saharawi refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria. Saharawi women have played an essential role in running the camps from the beginning as men were defending the liberated zones of Western Sahara from Morocco forces.
Daughters of the clouds
Fatimatu Omar, who practises traditional medicine, finds more difficult her job since they have to travel long distance from the refugee camps in Tindouf (Algeria) to get their plants in the liberated Western Sahara called Tifariti.
Daughters of the clouds
Muemina, a 6 years old Saharawi refugee with her brother Mohamed Ali, aged 13 doing their homework at night.
Daughters of the clouds
Gadfa Yaacob makes some bread in the early hours of the day before attending her duties as a teacher in Awserd primary school, Tindouf (Algeria).
Daughters of the clouds
A thirty fiveears old saharawi woman in the Western Sahara refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.
Daughters of the clouds
Daughters of the clouds
Zafia Mustafa Mohamed, a 6 years old Saharawi girl during her lessons at the Awserd primary school in the refugee camps of Tindouf (Algeria). Refugee children attend primary school in the camps and by the aged of 12 they have the option to study either in Algeria or abroad. After finishing their studies they return to the camps to help their families.
Daughters of the clouds
Daughters of the clouds
Women going to pray. Western Sahara refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria
Daughters of the clouds
Safia Mustafa Mohamed, a six- year-old Saharawi refugee in the hills of the refugee camp of Awserd, Tindouf (Algeria)
Daughters of the clouds
A Saharawi refugee girl brings water to her tent at the refugee camp of Awserd, Tindouf (Algeria). Drinking water is brought to the refugee camps by lorries from Tindouf. The water is loaded in tanks in each of the four wilayas (districts) for their distribution to the Saharawi families
Daughters of the clouds
Refugee children eating icecream at the refugee camps of Tindouf, Algeria.
Daughters of the clouds
Sand storms called “Sirocco” are frequent in the Western Refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. The storms make life very difficult in the camps. Western Sahara refugees have lived here since the 1975 Morocco occupation of their lands
Daughters of the clouds
Children are the only ones who are outside the tents in the early hours of the afternoon, even in summer time when temperatures rise to 50 degrees
Daughters of the clouds
Children play football at the refugee camps of tindouf, Algeria    

Daughters of the clouds

Profile photo of Quintina Valero
Quintina Valero
Photographer based in Madrid
Editors Only Story
Daughters of the clouds
Copyright Quintina Valero 2024
Date of Work May 2007 - Jun 2007
Updated Jan 2022
Topics Activism, Children, Civil Rights, Climate Change, Conflict, Culture, Desert, Documentary, Environment, Ethnic minorities, Family, History, Hope, Human Rights, Hunger, Isolation, mass displacement, Minority, Photography, Photojournalism, Politics, Poverty, Social Justice, War and its effects, Water, Womens Rights
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