Inhabitants of the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa, Cape Town, have lost everything in a tragic fire, and the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers is stepping in to provide disaster relief materials.
The fire that rushed through the informal settlement yesterday is said to have destroyed 300 shacks. According to reports, many of the homeowners were in the Eastern Cape for the Easter long weekend.
More than a thousand people have already been left homeless. Ali Sablay, a representative for Gift Of The Giver, said the organisation had been besieged with calls from Joe Slovo residents.
Strong winds made fighting the fire difficult, he claimed, and the fire was eventually put out in the early hours of Sunday morning. “Fortunately, there were no fatalities or injuries.”
Their teams will provide essential humanitarian help in the form of hot meals, clean water, baby-care packs, duvets, and mattresses, according to Sablay.
Gift of the Givers will be on the scene for the next few days to help the traumatised locals, according to him.
“It’s a very bleak Easter for these families,” he said.
Gift of the Givers is a South African non-governmental organisation and disaster relief group. It was established to offer disaster relief and response, together with other humanitarian work, with the aim to reach people worldwide.