By Ragheema Mclean
Humanitarian organization Gift of the Givers (GOTG) has affirmed that it will continue efforts to support communities devastated by recent stormy conditions in the Western Cape.
Despite the worst of the storm having passed, persistent rain prevents communities from finding respite, with brief sunshine quickly overshadowed by days of rainfall.
Speaking on VOC’s News Beat show, GOTG project manager Ali Sabley said its teams are still on the ground within several informal settlement communities in the province.
“With the slight rain still coming down and with the level 5 warning predicted for the Overberg region this weekend, we are not out of the clear yet.”
“Our teams have remained on the ground conducting mop-up operations and assisting some of the early childhood development (ECD) centres and schools that were damaged by the floods.”
Sablay highlighted that the ongoing storm has caused extensive damage, affecting nearly 200,000 people, particularly in informal settlements.
“There is great need for residents to be relocated to other areas due to the extent of the damage they have experienced over the last few weeks. People are very keen to relocate to areas that are more conducive.”
Meanwhile, he also stressed the importance and urgent need of building dignified homes to mitigate future disasters.
“We have discussed programs with provincial and national governments, providing examples of sustainable structures that can be built to assist families living in informal settlements across the country.”
“We need to build dignified homes for all families so that when the next disaster comes, there isn’t as much damage as we’ve experienced in the past.”
Furthermore, Sablay said farmers near the Sheikh Yusuf Kramat in Macassar reported losing up to 18 cattle due to the severe weather.
“We provided them with animal feed, and our teams are still on-site assessing additional needs. These small-scale farmers are devastated as they lack the resources to recover from such disasters.”
“We are hopeful that the provincial department of agriculture listens to these farmers and provide them with some form of support.”
VOC News
Photo: GOTG/Facebook
