In the townships south and east of Johannesburg, a long-simmering tension between economic despair and the presence of foreign-born neighbors has broken into open violence, displacing more than 160,000 people from across southern Africa. Since March, organized anti-immigration marches have given cover to criminal gangs who rob, beat, and expel immigrant families while police watch in silence. At least four people have died, thousands sleep in sub-freezing temperatures outside consulates, and a government that denies any humanitarian crisis is nonetheless watching political parties court votes
South Africa's anti-immigration violence forces thousands to flee
At least 4 people killed; over 160,000 displaced; thousands sleeping without shelter in sub-10°C temperatures; families separated; access to healthcare blocked for vulnerable populations including TB and psychiatric patients.