A fire in the Kayamandi informal settlement in Stellenbosch has displaced over 150 people after destroying more than 40 structures.
Disaster relief organisation Gift of the Givers is on site to deliver much-needed humanitarian relief.
Gift of the Givers project manager and spokesperson, Ali Sablay, said that the organisation received frantic calls from Kayamandi residents and community leaders at around 9.20pm on Old Year's Eve, appealing for assistance as the fires were rapidly spreading.
Gift of the Givers will be delivering food, blankets and baby food to the residents and has committed to feeding the affected families for the next seven days.
As many residents have lost school stationery and school uniforms, Gift of the Givers has committed to giving all affected children new school uniforms and stationery in order to not disrupt their schooling.
Sablay said the fire was the fourteenth fire at an informal settlement in the Western Cape in the past 14 days.
On December 23, a fire in the Kosovo informal settlement in Philippi displaced over 100 people after destroying over 40 structures.
On the same day there were fires at Masiphumelele informal settlement in Kommetjie, where approximately 82 structures were affected, with around 450 people becoming displaced.
On Christmas Day, a fire ripped through Ekuphumleni informal settlement in Dunoon, destroying over 200 structures and displacing hundreds of residents.
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