The Western Cape government’s Disaster Management has requested assistance from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to provide a helicopter for the purpose of delivering essential humanitarian aid to the flood-affected town of Citrusdal.
Also read: Citrusdal on lockdown after access road washes away during heavy rainfall
The access road to and from Citrusdal has washed away due to heavy rains experienced in the last week. Traffic has stopped on both sides of the road. According to the Cederberg Municipality, Citrusdal is on lockdown.
The Western Cape chief of disaster management Colin Deiner told News24 the town was under lockdown after flooding and that the roads were inaccessible due to infrastructural damage.
He added that the use of helicopters from the SANDF is required in order to access the remote communities along the west coast, enabling the delivery of essential supplies and aid.
‘Those towns are fairly isolated, and the roads have washed away. On Thursday, we used the province’s helicopter to fly out a child with injuries. Now we need to get in there to deliver food and medical supplies, and we can’t reach the areas by road, ‘ he said.
According to Deiner, certain individuals from Vredendal have been relocated from high-risk zones to temporary housing as a precautionary measure. He said the teams are taking proactive steps to ensure safety by preventing any potential impact of heavy rainfall.
The humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers announced its commitment to providing vital food and non-food items, which will be delivered to the affected regions.
A spokesperson for the organisation said, ‘We have already diverted our Johannesburg truck from Beaufort West to Malmesbury, whilst the Cape Town teams are currently loading supplies on additional trucks heading out for Malmesbury shortly to avoid being on the road when monster storms are expected to strike the province after midnight. Our trucks have fleece blankets, plastic coveralls, bottled water, bread, non-perishable food items and hygiene packs.’
Gift of the Givers also mentioned that destructive weather conditions invariably lead to a rise in the number of displaced individuals seeking assistance.
‘Thousands of blankets, mattresses, sleeping bags, plastic coveralls, hygiene packs, fortified peanut paste and nutritionally enriched Genesis cereal will be required in addition to new clothing, food parcels, stationery and building material. Wuppertal, Tsitsikama and many other areas are joining the queue of distressed communities affected by the constant rain and cold.’
To contribute, please direct your donations to Gift of the Givers at Standard Bank in Pietermaritzburg. The account number is 052137228, with the branch code 057525. When making the deposit, kindly reference ‘SA disaster’ and send the deposit slip to [email protected] to receive the Section 18A tax certificate.
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