 |
| Map of SOS in Algeria |
February 24, 2011: In an attempt to mollify anti-government demonstrators roiling
Algeria, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika agreed to reverse a 19-year-old state of emergency on Tuesday, February 22.
The decree had been implemented by the army in 1992 to aid the government’s fight against Islam extremists, according to an Associated Press report in The Washington Post. The violence that ensued in that civil war killed about 200,000 people.
A precise date for lifting the ordinance, which forbids gatherings of any size in Algeria and strengthens the authority of police and local governors, has not been announced. The president’s office stated only that the reversal of the law was “imminent.”
Opposition and civil society groups have been calling for the state of emergency to be eliminated for some time. Even if the government does so, authorities indicate that a ban on demonstrations in the capital of Algiers may still be enforced.
 |
| Teenagers with their SOS Mother in Draria. Photo by Sandrine Houalet |
SOS Supports Algerian Youth Seeking Jobs
Like citizens currently agitating across Northern Africa and the Middle East, Algerians are dissatisfied with high unemployment, low living standards, and lack of transparent government. These issues are especially vexing to Algeria’s youth, who make up 75 percent of the nation’s 36 million people.
SOS Children’s Villages has been in Algeria for three decades. Its Children’s Village in Draria, south of Algiers, contains a youth facility where SOS staff care for teens whose own families are unable to provide for them. SOS helps them to gain skills and find jobs—a key concern for Algeria’s young people.
SOS also operates family strengthening programs in Draria as well as in the regions of Tipaza and Tizi Ouzou. The goal of these programs is to keep families intact.
 |
| Children coloring in SOS Draria. Photo by Sandrine Houalet |
Help Give Algerian Children a Brighter Future
In times of uncertainty, SOS provides a stable, safe haven for vulnerable children around the world. And you can help SOS provide that lasting gift. Learn about the four principles of SOS while providing loving homes for children and strong communities for families through monthly support as a Global Village Builder.
Would you like to learn more? Sign up to receive SOS Children’s Villages eNewsletters to stay informed about issues that affect children around the world.