Humanitarian aid is being dispersed in Masiphumelele. The organisation, Gift of the Givers, rushed to the scene yesterday, following reports of a fire. They will be on the scene assisting with humanitarian aid over the next few days.
Humanitarian aid dispersed in Masiphumelele
The City of Cape Town says several informal homes were destroyed in the blaze in Masiphumelele Informal Settlement yesterday, but the exact number of homes affected is not yet known. The spokesperson for Disaster Risk Management, Charlotte Powell, says the flames were brought under control last night. Firefighters, however, remained on the scene overnight to prevent flare-ups.
Preventing flare-ups
A spokesperson for Gift of the Givers, Ali Sablay, says community leaders alerted the organisation about the fire yesterday. This was, as strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly through the area. Sablay says this left residents with little opportunity to save their belongings.
Humanitarian aid
According to Sablay, after engaging with community leaders, they were told that in excess of 150 structures had been destroyed. He says their teams will be on site today to provide immediate humanitarian assistance. This includes hot meals and bottled water.
“Further aid can follow as the number of affected residents is confirmed,” added Sablay.
Teams are still active in Du Noon
Sablay further added that while the fire season has been relatively quiet over the festive period, a significant number of people have been affected in a short space of time. At this stage, their teams are still active in Du Noon, following a devastating blaze earlier this month. He says over 2 500 people were left homeless after a fire on 9 January, leaving many informal homes in ruin.
