Humanitarian organisations, state deliver immediate aid to victims
It was all hands-on deck in the Free State this week in the wake of the disaster that left a trail of misery in Jagersfontein which saw Premier Sisi Ntombela and her entire cabinet spring into action.
A temporary food and clothing bank were immediately established, as humanitarian and relief organisations, which included the SA Red Cross and Meals on Wheels joined in delivering basic essentials such as mattresses.
The SA Red Cross delivered food parcels and 80 mattresses and activated the delivery of 250 additional mattresses. The provincial government says the profiling of affected families from the affected areas in Jagersfontein, Fauresmith and those placed in Bloemfontein is in progress.
A total of 500 meals have thus far been delivered to the community and 300 food parcels dropped off at the food and clothing bank by Meals on Wheels.
The provincial government has also hailed SA Red Cross and Gift of the Givers, which “have also been of great assistance with trucks loaded with bottled water, blankets, mattresses, clothing, hot meals, food for cooking, hygiene items, sanitary towels and diapers”.
The Al Imdaad Foundation is also on board to assist with essentials, according to the provincial government, which thanked the organisation for also providing food, blankets, clothing and school uniform.
The South African Social Security Agency was assisting with profiling affected people for the Disaster Relief Grant. The provincial government added that provincial social workers were also on the ground “and have been visiting the victims at their respective shelters to provide psychosocial support”.
The Department of Home Affairs has also been activated to assist those who lost their identity documentation, said the Office of the Premier.