The Western Cape Department of Social Development has started delivering food relief to vulnerable households in the Karoo, who have been hit by a prolonged power outage.

Several towns have been without power for a week, after inclement weather last weekend caused electricity pylons to collapse.

Many residents will only be back on the grid next Thursday.

MEC Sharna Fernandez says food relief will benefit over 20 000 people from indigent households in various towns in the Central Karoo.

With scorching temperatures and limited power in affected towns, many people have lost perishable food due to their inability to store products such as meat and vegetables in refrigerators.

Fernandez says the department’s social workers and community development workers are conducting assessments to identify residents who are at extremely high risk of malnutrition/hunger.

These residents will be referred to various sites to receive nutritional support during this outage period.

The Department has also been liaising with municipalities in the affected region to discuss distribution.

Thank you to the incredible DSD team that has worked around the clock to secure the necessary materials for the food relief programme, and to ensure that we do not miss anyone who is in dire need. I know that vulnerable residents, like the elderly and those living in poverty have had a challenging week, and I thank the municipalities for working so closely with us in our efforts to provide support.

The Department has also enabled the three old age facilities in Prince Albert, Laingsburg, and Ladismith, to buy diesel for generators as their diesel supplies have been running low.

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