The Western Cape is currently experiencing a slew of extreme weather phenomena that have caused havoc in the region.
With strong winds, a cold front, flooding and snow, the province and its people have suffered and are in need of help.
Gift of The Givers founder, Imtiaz Sooliman, said Western Cape Disaster Management, as well as multiple municipalities in the province, contacted the organisation on Friday to be on standby due to the orange Level 6-8 storm warning.
Sooliman said the impact was felt as early as Friday morning, when Ward 99 in Khayelitsha was ‘taken out’ by excessive gale force winds, causing mayhem in six informal settlements, damaging 1,000 informal homes, and displacing 4,000 residents in icy cold and pouring rain.
He added that teams have hit the ground running, working around the clock and getting completely soaked as they respond to desperation calls from Nomzamo, Lwandle, Mangaung, Kanana, Barcelona and New Rest Gugulethu, Mfuleni, Mbokweni, Kosovo Phillipi, Island, Phola Park, Klipfontein, Marikana, Kusisikhona, Winnie Madikizela, Siyangenya, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, and Tafelsig.
The areas affected and the number of displaced people are increasing. Schools opening in 24 hours jeopardise the education of thousands of students.
“Hunger is the most striking feature wherever our teams have responded with hot meals, blankets, toiletries and baby care packs,” Sooliman said.
“Feeding upwards of 15,000 people, providing thousands of blankets, mattresses, meals, bottled water, items of warm clothing, diapers, sanitary pads, baby care packs and replacement of school uniforms and stationery is a mammoth and very expensive exercise requiring resources in the millions for effective, decisive intervention.”
Sooliman urged South Africans to contribute towards relief efforts through:
Gift of the Givers Standard Bank, Pietermaritzburg
Account number: 052137228,
Reference: Storms.
IOL