MSF: Nothing to celebrate on World Refugee Day in South Africa

© Bonile Bam/The Star

On the occasion of World Refugee Day, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) highlights the lack of protection and assistance for Zimbabweans seeking refuge in South Africa. Ironically, the theme chosen by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for this year's Refugee Day is "protection".

Since December 2007, MSF has been providing health care to Zimbabweans in Musina, at the border with Zimbabwe, and Johannesburg at the Central Methodist Church, most of whom have no legal status in the country. In spite of the current situation in Zimbabwe, many are not recognised as refugees in South Africa.

'The lack of legal status has serious implications for our patients and their calls for protection continue to go unheard,' says Rachel Cohen, head of Mission for MSF in South Africa. 'Many Zimbabweans are often too afraid to seek health care in South Africa for fear of deportation and after the recent violence in South Africa, this fear has been further exacerbated. Our teams have been told that many Zimbabweans have gone into hiding, which makes it nearly impossible for them to access assistance and protection."

Since eruptions of violence against foreign nationals in South Africa, MSF teams have treated over 4,000 patients for gunshot wounds, diarrhoea, respiratory infections, and trauma-related illnesses and distributed thousands of blankets, hygiene kits, and plastic sheeting in community halls, police stations, churches, and temporary shelters in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Pretoria.

'The recent violence and displacement of foreign nationals has had grave humanitarian implications,' continues Rachel Cohen. 'This should not stop us from seeing the larger picture: the government and UNHCR need to take responsibility for ensuring that foreign nationals in South Africa have access to the assistance and protection guaranteed to them under both the constitution and international law.'

Considering the current situation in Zimbabwe, the government of South Africa and the UNHCR must immediately recognise the specific humanitarian needs of Zimbabweans in South Africa. This must begin with the provision of legal status and a halt to deportation.