Spate of deadly xenophobic violence in South Africa draws UN concern

The United Nations refugee agency has today welcomed efforts by South Africa’s Government to contain a recent wave of xenophobic violence that has accounted for the deaths of six people in the past three weeks in South Africa.

However, Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the agency remains concerned about the attacks, which have also led to displacement of more than 5,000 foreigners, some of whom included refugees and asylum-seekers.

“The attacks in KwaZulu-Natal province began in late March following an apparent labour dispute involving South African and foreign workers and the latest population movements came on top of displacement that had taken place in January as a result of similar incidents in Soweto, near Johannesburg in Gauteng province,” said Mr. Edwards.

“South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma told parliamentarians on 16 April that refugees and asylum-seekers would be accorded support in line with international law and protocols, with the support of the UNHCR,” he added.

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