Imtiaz Sooliman – Eastern Cape floods Gift of the Givers extends assistance
AI: Summary ©
In a news segment, a doctor from Gift of the Givers discusses the aftermath of a flood in East London, where 18-year-old children and teenagers lost their lives. The flood is causing more people to lose their lives and has caused more people to have to replace household contents and furniture. The doctor encourages people to open up one way or another to support crisis response and provide necessary aid, including food and water.
AI: Summary ©
Gift of the givers is helping more people
affected by the floods in East London. It
says 14 people died in the flash floods,
and houses were destroyed. For more on this,
I'm joined now by Imtiaz Suleiman,
from Gift of the Givers, and he joins
me for an update. So, doctor Suleiman, I
mean, we saw the visuals, heartbreaking,
videos that were being shared, pictures that were
being shared. What are you seeing in the
wake, of the flooding,
particularly in as far as lives and livelihoods
of people who were in the path,
of these floods?
Hi. It's good afternoon,
It's been a total disaster. My day just
found another body right now. In the river,
I think I think that brings it up
to 16.
The other tragic story is also a short
while ago in a place called Cambridge Cambridge.
They found 6 children in a house where
where their mother and father had washed have
been washed away. So those children are are
left alone completely without family support.
And in the area itself, they found another
6 families that haven't received any assistance.
The problem with this flood is it's an
expanding issue where we are finding more and
more families in these areas. We still don't
have the full scale of what has happened
and where it has happened. So as people
are making progress, we get more and more
stories. I mean, the first day we were
told a small child was washed away and
an 18 year old daughter, and a teenager.
You you everybody knows the story of the
18 year old. Her mother tried to catch
her. The doors the the whole house washed
away and and the and the teenagers washed
away, and the mother couldn't catch her and
to save her in time when she drowned.
And, of course, we turned off. The police
were not passed on. But but each day,
we're getting off more and more, and it's
warning. Because in in the floods, we normally
in this type of floods, we normally have
a 2 or 3 maximum that have passed
on. It's now 15 and probably more. So
it is very, very worrying in terms of
lives, and we I think we're gonna find
more bodies. And in terms of destruction, it's
massive. It's affected so many homes. People's homes
have been totally washed away even though partially
damaged. So we're gonna need a lot of
support to fix up the homes as well
as the contents because these are not rich
people. And whatever they lose is a mess
massive loss to them. They're not insured. They
don't have the means. They can't be placed.
Sure. And as you talk about that that,
need, those needs for
rebuilding,
of lives,
and livelihoods,
what are the most pressing needs at the
moment, and how do South Africans,
and other role players
within South African society,
come to the party to assist you in
your efforts?
Well, the the the initial response is always
always nutritious meals. And in this case, we
have to provide our clothing because everything is
washed away. Bottled water, sanitary
pads, diaper packs, that's what they need. Blankets
and mattresses. But as we're finding more and
more people affected, we need more items.
But overall, in the long run, we're going
to need building material to help people whose
houses are completely washed away. And even those
with people who are partially damaged, we need
to repair those homes. It's full of money.
And then, of course, people will need help
with contents. If people can make furniture available,
a contribution towards that, you know, and and
the other thing that is lost is stationary
and uniforms.
Everything that I'm mentioning to you, we are
going to be doing you know,
providing parts of it, you know, and making
funding available for that, whether require building material,
they require,
the the just, blankets, mattresses,
and and the station is fully formed providing
that. And then the other tragic story is
that many people, you know, are stuck because
of funeral cover. And we also the lady
whose daughter passed away will be helping her
with the funeral, and we may have to
help other people with funerals. So that's a
dignified
that's issue of dignity. And South Africans have
always come to the fore to support crisis
like this. And these we have to understand.
These people can't even replace the pale socks.
They've been living in difficult situations all their
lives. What they've lost is their lives accumulation
of assets, which is basically nothing compared to,
you know, economically strong people. And they have
to replace that. It's gonna be very difficult.
They traumatized. The houses are damaged. You know,
they they've lost lives. They're stunned. They don't
know what to do. And, of course, with
with the the human settlements have to look
at maybe moving them to another place. It
appears that they've built on flood plains, and
that's a big danger. You know, once you
build on flood plains and you go back
there and rains come, you're gonna have the
same problem again like we have in the
Yaxi River year in and year out in
Alex. So, hopefully, we have to move them
somewhere closer while they send you their jobs,
but, you know, in a safer
place. Alright. Doctor Imtiaz Suleiman, I've got to
thank you for your time and the work
that you are doing out there in the
Eastern Cape and urge people really, to just
open up one way or another as you
heard there, some of the needs, for the
response.
Some are immediate in that, you know, it's
about shelter, nutritious meals, etcetera. But, actually, some
of what doctor Suleiman was saying there is
not something you think about immediately, that those
people will need to replace household contents,
furniture. Some of them will not be able
to do that,
you know, anytime soon. So whenever you are
able, if you are able to assist,
I think that is the spirit,
of South Africa, really.