I have been keeping a close watch on the situation in South Africa and noted today that one of the areas worst affected by the violence against foreigners is seeking assistance:
“South Africa's Western Cape is to ask for parts of the province to be declared a disaster zone in the wake of recent anti-foreigner violence. The provincial government also asked for UN help in dealing with the crisis. Attacks against foreigners in South Africa began earlier this month, leaving tens of thousands displaced and seeking refuge across the country. ”
It is critical that the South African government move swiftly to address this complicated problem in a humane fashion. I would like to see more support offered from the United Nations and perhaps more of a focus from international human rights organizations.
There is a lot of finger pointing occurring in South Africa but at this time everyone needs to work together to stop things going from bad to worse.
