Refugees at the Soetwater safety camp met UN representatives after calls for the world body’s intervention earlier this week.
Representatives from various groups based at the camp held a press conference at the His Kingdom Baptist Centre in Kommetjie on Wednesday and met UN representatives afterwards.
The delegates representing groups from Somalia, Congo, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Burundi, insisted on urgent UN intervention a call echoed by groups in camps across the city, who held a press conference on Monday.
The displaced people called on the UN to step in and take
control, and have them moved back to their home countries or to a different country.
Ethiopia's Israel Abate said today: "We never said we wanted to go to the USA or Canada, but we would like to go anywhere where we would be welcomed and our rights are upheld."
He said a UN representative had handed out questionnaires to gauge the conditions at the camp.
Thousands of refugees have been staying at six emergency camps across the province since they fled their communities following xenophobic attacks two weeks ago.
Refugee Serge Bami Samba said yesterday that conditions at the Soetwater camp were deteriorating. He said they had had reports of 85 men suffering from diarrhoea.
"We believe the South African government cannot
control the situation. The UN and only the UN has enough
skills to control this situation," he said.
Samba said they had no freedom of movement, had to tag their belongings and had no money for transport. He said they were also worried about the safety of their women and children, particularly at night, as the women were separated from the men.
The group reiterated that not everyone wanted to be reintegrated as the government had planned.
Fatima Omar, who represents Somalis at Soetwater, said she had been living in South Africa for five years, but she "would rather die in her own country than die in this country."
She said despite problems back home, she would rather return there. - Cape Argus
Representatives from various groups based at the camp held a press conference at the His Kingdom Baptist Centre in Kommetjie on Wednesday and met UN representatives afterwards.
The delegates representing groups from Somalia, Congo, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Burundi, insisted on urgent UN intervention a call echoed by groups in camps across the city, who held a press conference on Monday.
The displaced people called on the UN to step in and take
control, and have them moved back to their home countries or to a different country.
Ethiopia's Israel Abate said today: "We never said we wanted to go to the USA or Canada, but we would like to go anywhere where we would be welcomed and our rights are upheld."
He said a UN representative had handed out questionnaires to gauge the conditions at the camp.
Thousands of refugees have been staying at six emergency camps across the province since they fled their communities following xenophobic attacks two weeks ago.
Refugee Serge Bami Samba said yesterday that conditions at the Soetwater camp were deteriorating. He said they had had reports of 85 men suffering from diarrhoea.
"We believe the South African government cannot
control the situation. The UN and only the UN has enough
skills to control this situation," he said.
Samba said they had no freedom of movement, had to tag their belongings and had no money for transport. He said they were also worried about the safety of their women and children, particularly at night, as the women were separated from the men.
The group reiterated that not everyone wanted to be reintegrated as the government had planned.
Fatima Omar, who represents Somalis at Soetwater, said she had been living in South Africa for five years, but she "would rather die in her own country than die in this country."
She said despite problems back home, she would rather return there. - Cape Argus
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