Over 200 displaced as fire devastates Taiwan Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha

More than 200 people have been left homeless after a devastating fire swept through the Taiwan Informal Settlement in Khayelitsha on Sunday (20 October), destroying over 50 structures.

Speaking on VOC Breakfast, Gift of the Givers (GOTG) spokesperson Ali Sablay confirmed that the humanitarian organization is providing much-needed relief to the affected residents.

“Our teams are on the ground assisting the site victims with hot meals, blankets, personal hygiene items, and baby care packs,” said Sablay.

“We have responded to fires at the Taiwan informal settlements on a yearly basis. Structures are built on top of each other, so when a fire occurs, it doesn’t just affect one or two structures—many more are impacted. The only solution to this problem will be permanent housing,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, GOTG teams are also engaged in relief efforts in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth, where severe flooding has wreaked havoc on the community.

Sablay said that urgent evacuations are underway, with power lines and water plants destroyed, leaving residents without clean drinking water and electricity.

“Our teams from various parts of the Western Cape have been deployed to assist the residents of PE from 4:00 AM this morning,” Sablay noted.

Listen to the full interview below:

VOC News

Photo: Supplied

Picture of Ragheema Mclean
Ragheema Mclean

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