Heavy storms leave many homeless and distraught

Two days before South Africa celebrated Christmas Day 2010, communities within the Eastern Cape region suffered greatly after a devastating tornado ripped through the area and left many homeless and distraught. Two children died as a result of the disaster.

Following consultation with Humanitarian Emergency Affairs (HEA) officials within the National Office as well as the Southern Africa Regional Office, World Vision South Africa (WVSA)’s National Director Lehlohonolo Chabeli declared a Category 1 Level 1 Disaster for the floods and storms that affected more than 14 000 people in the country.

Prior to the destructive storms in the Eastern Cape’s Mbhashe Local Municipality, the area had been declared as a disaster area by the Eastern Cape Provincial Government due to the ongoing drought situation. The heavy floods and disparaging side effects also affected other local municipalities in the Eastern Cape. (Mbhashe fall under the Amathole District Municipality.)

In the aftermath of the storm Mbhashe residents began counting the costs of the damage while municipal officials and humanitarian agencies – including WVSA – carried out assessments of the damaged places and planned their respective emergency relief actions.

“Many of the affected households did not have shelter and thus urgent and immediate intervention was critical,” said Chabeli who visited the Mbhashe area together with the National HEA Manager, Stanley Maphosa, WVSA field staff and volunteers soon after the storms. As an initial response, they distributed 147 blankets to those affected.

WVSA had just started to recruit Registered Children (RC) in Ward 3 of the Mbhashe Local Municipality for the new Mbhashe Area Development Programme (ADP).

Roofs of houses were struck down, windows of houses and cars broke, huge trees fell down and electricity poles were affected. Above all that is reported there were 10 RC who were left homeless and were staying with relatives.

A total of 1 452 households in Mbhashe were affected. Approximately 7 260 people – at a ratio of five people per household – suffered from the dire situation. Initial assessments showed that 53 households were homeless. This accounts for 253 people in the most affected villages of Drayini and Mfamfeni.

Displaced people were placed in various safe shelters, some in temporary shelters erected by the Department of Local Government and Housing while others found space with friends and relatives. “Taking the affected people into their homes as a supportive and caring measure is a phenomenon which is commendable for this community,” said Chabeli.

WVSA (the only NGO in Mbhashe working with the District Disaster Management Centre [Amathole], the Department of Social Development, Malinda Shoprite, the South African Breweries and Department of Local Government and Human Settlement)is part of the relief response coalition that is being coordinated by the local government. Due to low temperatures and continuing rains WVSA is responding by providing blankets, mattresses and sanitary items for women and children.

Heavy rains also affected areas in other provinces negatively. In the Johannesburg area, about 1 200 households lost most of their possessions and in the Limpopo Province heavy rains have destroyed 188 mud houses in the Maniini community within the Thohoyandou area.

“Our assessments in the affected areas will continue,” said Maphosa, “and this will enable adjustments as WVSA’s emergency response continues.”