Gift of the Givers’ extensive relief efforts

Lack of water and locating missing persons are two major problems Pietermaritzburg-based humanitarian NGO Gift of the Givers are focusing their relief efforts on in their response to the KZN floods.

Due to water infrastructure and purification systems being damaged by the floods, the need for fresh water is dire, and not limited to those affected by the floods, with many areas in ethekwini having no water for almost a week.

Gift of the Givers, who has been on the ground in Durban since the floods hit last week, has been hard at work securing donations and providing truckloads of bottled water to communities.

“The lack of water causes an urgent need to provide safe drinking water to communities that were devastated by the floods,” the organisation said. They have also been providing affected communities and flood victims with food, mattresses, blankets and hot meals.

In terms of flood rescue efforts, they have partnered with KZN Disaster Management to assist with providing assistance with rescue missions, both on land and in water. They will provide necessary support including helicopter access and back-up equipment.

This comes as the death toll exceeded 400 over the weekend, with more still unaccounted for.

“In the Umzinyathi area in Inanda, our teams found community members waiting at the edge of the river. When asked what they were doing, they said: ‘We are waiting for the bodies of our family members to float downstream to recover them.’

“This incident and several other messages received have highlighted the need to send in large numbers of teams for search and recovery,” the organisation shared.

Their relief efforts have also included partnering with SANDF to deliver food and relief to areas that had become inaccessible on land, due to the damage to roads.

To support their disaster response efforts call 0800 786 911 Their bank details are: Gift of the Givers Standard Bank Account number: 052137228 Branch Code: 057525 Reference: KZN Floods Please send the deposit slip to donations@giftofthegivers.org for a formal acknowledgement and to request a Section 18A tax-deductible certificate.