The death toll from Cyclone Idai keeps rising. Now, cholera is taking lives and threatens the survivors of the cyclone. That's the thing about these extreme weather events. It doesn’t end when it ends. Cyclone Idai has destroyed access to clean water and access to sanitation, escalating health risks for the survivors. The countless families hit by the disaster are strong and … [Read more...]
At least 3 farm structures destroyed in Houwhoek Pass fire
At least three farm structures have already been destroyed in the bush fires raging along the Houwhoek Pass in Overberg district. Additional fire crews and two helicopters have been deployed to assist with fire-fighting operations this morning. No injuries have been reported. Firefighters in the Overberg are preparing are in for another long day, with some working late … [Read more...]
Texas flooding: death toll rises to 24
Three more bodies have been found in the flooding in Texas, officials said Saturday, bringing the total to 24 in a state walloped this week by heavy rains and powerful storms. Another seven people have died in Oklahoma. The three latest deaths were announced by officials in Hays County, where a group of people got swept away while in a vacation house last weekend. The … [Read more...]
Housing for Christmas in the Philippines
To assist the people of the Philippines who have suffered unimaginable destruction and great personal loss Gift of the Givers has added a further dimension to their highly successful mission to this region. They are launching a project called "Housing for Christmas in the Philippines". In Palompon Island 7000 families have lost their homes in 51 districts. It is indeed … [Read more...]
Calls for Duduza relief aid
"We are worried about school; we have no bags, no stationery, no uniforms. We will fall behind in our education whilst other children will work". During a trauma counselling session with children affected by the tornado in Duduza, besides an overwhelming fear of the "black wind with two eyes" or "the snake that laid its eggs," the preoccupation and greatest anxiety was the … [Read more...]
Largest hospital for ‘gift of the givers’
Gift of the Givers has just been granted permission to set up base, medical teams, equipment and supplies at Banadir Hospital, the largest hospital in Mogadishu (the largest city in Somalia) where thousands of patients are flocking to from various refugee camps in and around Mogadishu and the South, and are in desperate need of life saving medical assistance. The absence of … [Read more...]
Another 600 tons for Somalia relief
South Africa's Ubuntu Spirit knows no bounds. We are indeed making an emphatic continental statement that Africa is coming to the aid of Africans unreservedly. The power is not in the proclamation but in the execution: being the first African agency and the only agency in the world to fly 6 planes into Mogadishu in a two week period delivering 112 tons of aid, gave a very good … [Read more...]
Famine in Somalia: A desperate call for help
"As the hunger took its toll a husband and wife left their two children in the 'forest'. They could not bear the thought of their children dying in front of their eyes nor did they want their children to sense that they (the parents) were dying". This is Somalia; a monumental African tragedy that requires an urgent, co-ordinated international response to alleviate a massive … [Read more...]
Famine stricken Somalia vs Climate Diplomacy at COP17
Realist Foreign Policy refers to the policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other sovereign states. It might seem strange that an article that opens with a line like this finds itself in an environmental publication. Yet, it is not strange at all, as environmental issues like climate change don't 'respect' state boundaries. There is an environmental side to … [Read more...]
Polar BEAR package to reach 1000 children
What do you do when temperatures reach single digits and its pouring rain outside? You cling to your hot water bottle or snuggle under a bunch of blankets - sometimes you don't even know how many. When you absolutely have to go outside, you wear a thick coat or a waterproof jacket and a scarf. What would you do if you had none of these? Hundreds of orphans and … [Read more...]
Club together for Japanese victims
The people of Japan are still struggling to recover from the record breaking earthquake and tsunami that hit over there last week Friday. Thousands of people are dead and many more are still missing or injured. We are very happy to announce that Pick 'n Pay and ABSA have clubbed together to mobilize support for our brothers and sisters in Japan. From Friday 18 March 2011, … [Read more...]
