Municipality and Gift of the Givers offer warm meals and clothing to victims
More than 500 people in Middelpos informal settlement in Saldanha Bay were left stranded as a cold front made landfall this week, flooding their homes.
When GroundUp arrived on Thursday, a municipal truck was pumping water out of flooded roads. Volunteers with municipal disaster risk teams and aid organisation Gift of the Givers were already on the ground providing humanitarian relief such as warm meals and blankets.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Middelpos resident Angelique Bergh said all her belongings had been damaged. "Everything was wet there ... It felt like we were outside." She has had no choice but to temporarily move with her four-year-old to a friend's house. But many people were hesitant to leave their homes unattended.
Community leader Arthur Nombewu said some people sought shelter at a church. He said he started getting panicked calls from people asking for help on Wednesday afternoon. "I am worried. It's only day two [of the cold front] and we don't know what is coming. ... We've never seen something like this before," he said.
At about 2pm, a Gift of the Givers truck arrived with more supplies for those in need. At this stage, the local community hall filled up with people. Warm meals, blankets and clothing, baby care packs and essential hygiene supplies were provided.
"We continue to assess conditions on the ground and are committed to delivering urgent relief to affected communities with speed and compassion," the organisation said in a statement on Thursday.
Following two days of torrential rain, informal settlements across the Western Cape were severely impacted. Gift of the Givers distributed about 5,000 hot meals, 2,500 blankets, bottled water, and baby care packs across the province. Other neighbourhoods severely affected by the weather where the organisation offered assistance included Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Langa, Lwandle, and Valhalla Park.
Saldanha Bay Mayor André Truter told GroundUp that their main problem was excessive littering which blocked the drains. He said that the municipality would continue with its mop-up operations on Friday.
"We asked people who were not affected to open their hearts and their doors to take people in," he said. "It's very clear that we are seeing the effects of climate change because we're seeing this every year now."
Anton Bredell, Western Cape MEC of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, urged the public to stay alert during the storm. "High-risk areas continue to be low-lying, flood-prone informal settlements and communities near rivers, streams, and stormwater channels."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Emergency services are fully mobilised and remain on 24/7 standby to respond as needed. We extend our sincere thanks to all frontline teams, municipal partners, and volunteers for their swift, tireless efforts in assisting affected communities," he added.
