GENEVA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday it was "deeply concerned" about recurring violence against foreign nationals, including refugees and asylum-seekers, in South Africa.
The UNHCR referred to a recent incident in Katlehong near Johannesburg, and to tensions involving migrants reported around the cities of Durban and Cape Town, UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley said at a United Nations (UN) briefing here.
At least 12 people, including both foreign nationals and South Africans, have reportedly been killed since the onset of the recent violence.
UN staff have reported "a significant increase in calls to our telephone hotlines in recent weeks," Yaxley said.
"People are reporting that their homes and businesses have been looted, buildings and property have been set on fire, and gang activity on the streets and incidents of sexual and gender-based violence are on the increase," he said.
At least 1,500 foreign nationals, predominantly migrants but also refugees and asylum-seekers, have been forced to flee their homes.
Some 800 people, mostly from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, have sought safety in community halls in Katlehong with many wishing to return home, saying they no longer feel safe in South Africa.
Reports indicate that 73 Malawians, 138 Mozambicans, 314 Nigerians and 72 Zimbabweans have decided to return already.
South Africa's recently adopted "National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance" must now be swiftly implemented to avert further damage and destruction, said the UNHCR.
