City enacts mutual aid agreement to assist with Stellenbosch fire disaster

The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services was requested to provide assistance in the early hours of this morning, 15 March 2013, following the fire that occurred after midnight at the Kayamandi informal settlement in Stellenbosch.

The City dispatched three fire engines, three water tankers, and a service vehicle from the following fire stations: Kraaifontein, Goodwood, Milnerton, Bellville, Belhar and Kuils River.

At 05:49 this morning the Fire and Rescue Services of the Cape Winelands, Drakenstein and the City of Cape Town municipalities surrounded the fire and prevented it from spreading.

The Executive Mayor of Stellenbosch, Councillor Conrad Sidego, called upon the City of Cape Town to assist with disaster relief due to its specialised knowledge and capacity in dealing with large-scale incidents of this nature. The City deployed officers from its Disaster Risk Management Centre to assist with the coordination of logistical arrangements for the provision of humanitarian relief aid to the victims.

The blaze destroyed approximately 600 structures leaving over 2 500 people homeless. The authorities have confirmed that two adult males lost their lives.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, but it is suspected that it started as a result of an unattended paraffin stove in one of the informal structures.

The staff from the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre will remain in Stellenbosch until the situation has been stablised.

End

Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication and Branding Department, City of Cape Town

Source: Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, Head: Systems Integration, Special Projects and Disaster Operations, Disaster Risk Management Centre, City of Cape Town

Several disaster areas after floods in Eastern Cape

Eastern Cape - Several Eastern Cape municipalities have declared themselves disaster areas following last week’s heavy rain, which resulted in an estimated R1 billion in damage, mostly to roads and infrastructure.

Some of the areas hardest hit said this week they did not have the funds in municipal budgets to deal with the damage from the floods, which claimed at least 12 lives.

Some areas received more than 400mm of rain over just a few days, resulting in roads and bridges washing away, houses and buildings being damaged, and many people being displaced.

Eastern Cape education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said seven schools, mostly primary schools, had reported being damaged last weekend. Teaching had however continued this week, since the damage had been mostly partial.

The provincial government has started proceedings to declare the province a disaster area, while some municipalities have already made disaster declarations on a local level.

Shane Brown, acting head of safety and security for Nelson Mandela Bay, which includes Port Elizabeth, said damage estimates of between R300 million and R600m had been received.

Most of the damage was on an infrastructural level, including to roads, bridges and stormwater systems.

He said the mayoral committee had recommended that the area be declared a disaster area, but added that this was also being done on a provincial level.

Assistance had been rendered to more than 4 000 people between the start of the rains last week and yesterday morning. Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Zanoxolo Wayile said earlier this week that “the impact [of the floods] on the municipal budget will be devastating”.

Ted Pillay, municipal manager of the Cacadu district municipality, said five of the nine local municipalities which fall under its control had been severely affected.

The Ndlambe municipality, which includes Port Alfred, Kenton-on-Sea and Bathurst, had been hardest hit, with major damage to roads and municipal and provincial infrastructure. Severe damage to homes in the poorer areas as well as the more affluent areas had been recorded, and those whose homes were flooded, or in some cases “flattened”, were being housed in community halls.

The Makana municipality, which includes Grahamstown, was next hardest hit, with the majority of damage done to the road network.

Pillay said some homes had experienced some flooding, but that no one was forced from their homes as a result.

In Kouga, which includes Jeffreys Bay and St Francis Bay, the biggest damage was also done to roads. A bridge in St Francis Bay was washed away, leaving residents cut off. “

The ATMs are starting to run out of money there, and the petrol stations are running out of fuel,” he said.

In the Sunday’s River and Koukamma municipalities, access roads had been “terribly affected”, Pillay added. This presented a “big problem” because these were major agricultural areas.

Huge damage to the N2 near Grahamstown would take months to fix, he said, adding that it was possible the road would need to be realigned, since it would be difficult to fill the damaged portions.

The R72 in the Ndlambe area was damaged in three different places, and repair work was currently under way.

Only light vehicles could use the road, meaning trucks had to take long detours.

In addition, Pillay said, the road closures and damages meant residents were spending more on fuel because some of the detours were “hundreds of kilometres long”, forcing taxi fares up too.

Ndlambe, Kouga and Sunday’s River had all declared themselves disaster areas, while the Cacadu district municipality had declared disasters in all five municipalities.

Pillay estimated the combined damage for his municipality and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality could equal or exceed R1bn.

Earlier this week, Eastern Cape MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs Mlibo Qoboshiyane said the damage was likely to carry a price tag of more than R1bn, with damage in Nelson Mandela Bay estimated at R600m. Early estimates for Ndlambe and Kouga municipalities released this week were R500m and R97m respectively.

“Local government doesn’t have a budget of this magnitude, and you declare a state of disaster because you need national help,” Pillay said.

Weekend Argus/IOL

Eastern Cape emergency appeal to the President

The Eastern Cape government says it will send an SOS appeal to President Jacob Zuma to declare a special disaster fund for the flood-ravaged province.

Local government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane and transport MEC Thandiswa Marawu said in a joint statement late on Tuesday that they were still assessing the extent of the flood damage.

A report on the damage will then be sent to the national departments of co-operative governance and traditional affairs and the Treasury, prior to it being sent to President Zuma's office.

Construction of a temporary bypass on the N2, between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, is expected to start on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor Zanoxolo Wayile announced infrastructure damage estimates for the Metro alone at R600m.

This did not include the cost of damage to private residences.

Wayile said his office would also be asking National Government to declare the Metro a disaster area in order to access disaster funding.

"The impact on the municipal budget will be quite devastating because we have not set aside a budget for the disaster.The municipality attends to approach the national government to declare a local state of disaster in order to access the funding" Wayile said.

- ALGOA FM

Fiji and Japan: Emergency Assistance to the Republic of Fiji in Response to the Flood Disaster

1. On Thursday, April 5, the Government of Japan decided to provide emergency relief goods worth 18 million yen (water tanks, generators, water purifiers, etc.) to the Republic of Fiji, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in response to the request following serious damage from the floods.

2. In Fiji, heavy rain caused the floods from March 27. On March 30, the Government of Fiji announced the Declaration of a State of Natural Disaster for parts of the Western Division. The Government of Fiji reported, as of April 5, five people were dead and approximately 15,000 people were evacuated to the shelter. The Western Division is still flooded and the Central Division is also suffering from the electricity blackout and floods.

3. In response to the request from the Government of Fiji, the Government of Japan has decided to provide emergency assistance from a humanitarian point of view for the victims as well as in light of friendly relations between Japan and Fiji.

- ReliefWeb

Disaster relief must switch from global to local – Oxfam

LONDON (AlertNet) - The international humanitarian system will fail to cope with an expected rise in emergencies unless more is done to bolster the capacity of local organisations to respond to disasters, Oxfam said on Tuesday.

Like AlertNet's recent poll on the future of humanitarian aid, Oxfam's report, Crises in a New World Order, suggests aid workers will face an ever-growing caseload in the years to come due to rising weather-related disasters, ongoing conflicts and the failure to turn around fragile states.

"Coping with the expected strains on the humanitarian system will mean a shift from global to local," Oxfam's humanitarian director Jane Cocking said in a statement.

"International aid agencies cannot just pitch up, patch up and push-off, they also have to ensure that people and countries are better prepared to withstand future shocks."

The response to emergencies could be better, Oxfam said, adding that action by governments and aid agencies still remained "too little, too late".

It also criticised the response of the humanitarian system for often being determined by the "vagaries" of media and political interest rather than actual needs.

One way of ensuring more effective relief would be to equip local organisations to respond, Oxfam said.

It highlighted the work of 110 civil society groups helping disaster-prone communities across Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador as well as local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Darfur, which have provided vital relief and scaled-up their operations to fill some of the gaps created after a number of international NGOs were expelled in 2009.

Oxfam also called for more investment in reducing the risk of disasters in vulnerable communities. It said according to U.N. estimates, it would have cost $1 to save a malnourished child's life in Niger in 2005 compared to $80 once the food crisis was underway.

The charity said the vision of a new humanitarian world was fraught with challenges - not least upholding the sector's long cherished principles of delivering aid based on needs, and free of political interest.

With regards to the emergence of non-Western donors, Oxfam noted that Arab and Muslim countries focused much of their funding last year on Somalia, Libya and Yemen.

"These decisions reflect political and cultural affinities but also raise questions of how aid is to be targeted to human need," Oxfam said.

- AlertNet

Philippine quake kills 43

Image: Residents run to safety after a 6.8 earthquake hit Cebu City


A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the central Philippines on Monday, killing at least 43 people and causing widespread panic, officials said.

The powerful quake hit in a narrow strait between the heavily populated island provinces of Negros and Cebu, causing buildings to collapse, cracking roads and bridges, and shutting down the power supply.

In Cebu city, a popular tourist destination and city of 2.3 million, hotel guests scrambled to higher floors as unfounded rumours that a huge tsunami was bearing down spread by text message.
At least 29 were killed by landslides while 10 others were crushed by collapsing buildings in the mountainous town of of Guihulngan in Negros, said regional military official Colonel Francisco Patrimonio.

There was also an undetermined number of wounded, he added.

"Some private homes collapsed along with our court house and parts of the public market. We got people out of the buildings but we could not evacuate the homes," police chief Senior Inspector Alvin Futalan told AFP.

Four other people were killed in other parts of Negros which also suffered widespread power outages and cracked roads and bridges, hampering rescue efforts, Patrimonio told reporters.
"Looting is now rampant in Guihulngan which forced us to commit (more troops) with the Philippine national police," the colonel added.

Civil defence chief Benito Ramos said the violent shaking of buildings in Cebu city -- 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the epicentre -- led to broken windows and cracks on some walls even if no high rises sustained major damage.

Local residents said there was panic in the country's second-biggest city, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage there.

"There is news going around of tsunami waves, so we are doing our best to keep everybody calm," Barbi Patino, a spokesman for the 17-story Parklane International Hotel in Cebu told AFP.
Pedro Baldomino, a student in Cebu, said he saw many office workers in downtown Cebu leaving their buildings after a public announcement on radio warned people to brace for expected aftershocks.

"I was having lunch when the ground shook. Water spilled from glasses and plates clanked. Some of the diners rushed outside, some of us stayed underneath the tables," he said.

Philippine government seismologists earlier raised a precautionary tsunami alert over the quake, but lowered it two hours later.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no danger of a widespread destructive tsunami.

Almost four hours after the quake struck, a strong 6.2-magnitude aftershock hit the central Philippines again, panicking rescuers once more.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" -- a belt around the Pacific Ocean where friction between shifting tectonic plates causes frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

- AFP

Waterhulp van oral

Hulp stroom van oral in na Hoedspruit, waar die drinkwater te vuil is om te drink.

Drinkwater moet aangery of ten duurste gekoop word.

Volgens mnr. Koos le Roux, ’n inwoner van die dorp, is die probleem glo te wyte aan ’n toevoerpyp in die Blyderivier-besproeiingskema wat weens die onlangse vloede in die gebied gebreek het.

Dié pyp sorg vir water in die dorp en op die lugmagbasis buite die dorp.

Mnr. Jurie Janse van Vuu­ren van wyk, ’n verteenwoordiger van dié dorp se watergebruikersvereniging is, meen egter dis die watersuiweringsaanleg wat net nie al die water kan suiwer nie.

Hy het gesê die onlangse vloed het beslis ’n rol gespeel.

Me. Debby Thomson, eenheidskoördineerder van ’n organisasie wat slagoffers in Hoedspruit ondersteun, het gesê hulle werk nou saam met die Hoedspruit-plaaswag en die lugmagbasis om alle skenkings te versprei.

Thomson het gesê baie gebiede is heeltemal sonder water.

“Die water van die dorp en plase wat afhanklik is van water van dié pypleiding, is onbruikbaar.”

Sy het gesê meer as 200 families, 16 skole en kleuterskole, ’n kliniek en hospitaal is al met dié projek bygestaan.

Ds. Hennie Louw van die Hervormde kerk Kampersrus het gister gesê gemeentes in hul ring het honderde liters water aangery.

Louw het gesê hul gemeente het ook R100?000 in ’n vloedrampfonds gestort en dit word gebruik om nood te verlig.

Dr. Pieter Dorey van die NG kerk Kampersrus het gesê hulle het baie steun gekry van gemeentes van die NG Kerk se oostelike sinode, maar ook van ander instansies.

Hulle het verlede week 12?000 liter water van die Letsitele-gemeenskap gekry.

Dis onduidelik hoe lank dit nog sal duur voordat skoon drinkwater weer beskikbaar sal wees, het hy gesê.

Leerlinge aan die Laerskool Magalieskruin in Pretoria het binne ’n dag meer 1 200 liter bottelwater ingesamel wat aan die Hoedspruit Chris­tian School geskenk gaan word.

Volgens Le Roux het die dorp se waterprobleme nie nou skielik met die vloede begin nie. Daar was al in 2000 ’n vergadering van die munisipaliteit, ander betrokkenes en die departement van openbare werke (DOW) oor die verbetering van die watersuiweringsaanleg.

“Meer as 11 jaar later het daar dadels van gekom. Die vloede het die waterprobleem nou net weer ernstiger as ooit na vore gebring.”

Diegene wat wil help, kan e-pos stuur na vsu@hoedspruit. co.za.

- Die Beeld

Slow response to East Africa famine 'cost 'lives'

Image: The US government says 29,000 children under five years old died between May and July 2011

Thousands of needless deaths occurred from famine in East Africa last year because the international community failed to heed early warnings, say two leading British aid organisations.

Oxfam and Save the Children say it took more than six months for aid agencies to act on warnings of imminent famine.

Between 50,000 and 100,000 people died in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The agencies say governments, donors, the United Nations and NGOs need to learn from the mistakes.

In a report titled 'A Dangerous Delay', the agencies say a culture of risk aversion stalled a large-scale aid effort.

They say part of the problem was that the governments of Kenya and Ethiopia were unwilling to admit the scale of the disaster, but also that aid agency staff felt they had seen the problem many times before.

"Many donors wanted proof of a humanitarian catastrophe before acting to prevent one," the report says.

"Sophisticated early warning systems first forecast a likely emergency as early as August 2010, but the full-scale response was not launched until July 2011."

By that time it says, "malnutrition rates in parts of East Africa had gone far beyond the emergency threshold and there was high profile media coverage of the crisis".

'Grotesque situation'


At one stage during the famine the United Nations estimated that 10 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees went to camps in search of food, especially those from parts of Somalia where government forces have been fighting Islamist al-Shabab rebels.

The report calls on all parties to take crisis warnings more seriously.

"All members of the international system must improve their ability to prevent the worst effects of hunger crises before they happen," it says.

"In particular, national governments must fulfil their responsibilities to people caught up in crises and demonstrate leadership."

"The scale of death and suffering, and the financial cost, could have been reduced if early warning systems had triggered an earlier, more substantial response."

In the report, Oxfam and Save the Children looked at their own role in the crisis as well as that of other agencies.

"We all bear responsibility for this dangerous delay," said Oxfam's Chief Executive, Barbara Stocking.

"It is shocking that the poorest people are still bearing the brunt of a failure to respond swiftly and decisively."

Save the Children's Chief Executive, Justin Forsyth, said clear warnings had been ignored.

"We can no longer allow this grotesque situation to continue; where the world knows an emergency is coming but ignores it until confronted with TV pictures of desperately malnourished children," he said.

- BBC

Waar is die rampfonds?

Van die GG-Kamp brandslagoffers voor een van die strukture wat deur die munisipaliteit opgerig is. Heel regs is Bettie Pieterse, wie se dogter, kleinseun en skoonseun in die brand omgekom het. Langs haar is Rose Windvogel wat haar man en twee kinders verloor het. Foto’s: Hannes Visser

OUDTSHOORN NUUS - Oorlewendes van die brand by GG-Kamp in Bongolethu, Oudtshoorn wat op 5 November sewe lewens geëis het, het skynbaar nog nie ‘n sent ontvang van die rampfonds wat deur die burgemeester ge-stig is nie. Met die Oudtshoorn Courant se vorige besoek, op 20 Desember, aan die tydelike huisies wat vir die brandslagoffers opgerig is, het Gavin Juthe, hoof van behuising en spesiale dienste, gesê dat die burgemeester "seker voor Kersfees nog" ‘n besluit sal neem oor die aanwending van die meer as R100 000 wat in die fonds inbetaal is. Teen 20 Desember was die stadsraad egter al in reses en kon Burgemeester, Gordon April, nie vir kommentaar bereik word nie.

Die Oudtshoorn Courant het hierdie week gaan vasstel of die slagoffers reeds baatgevind het by die rampfonds. "Ons het nog net geld gekry van SASSA af, maar van daai geld wat in April se fonds is weet ons niks nie." het n ontstelde Rose Windvogel, wat haar man en twee kinders in die brand verloor het, gesê.

April het die week, op ‘n navraag oor die rampfonds en besluite daaroor geweier om kommentaar te lewer. "Ek mag nie saam met die media praat nie, julle moet saam met Ntobeko (die munispale woordvoer-der) praat." Toe daar aan hom verduidelik is dat Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe nog met verlof is en dus nie beskikbaar is nie het hy herhaal "Praat saam met Ntobeko."

‘n Navraag t.o.v. die rampfonds is direk aan die nuwe Munisipale Bestuurder, Thandekile Mnyimba, gestuur maar teen gisteroggend is nog geen reaksie ontvang nie.

Geen raadsbesluit
Ten spyte van die uiters frustrerende onbereidwilligheid van sommige ampte-nare om die pers te help om ‘n geba-lanseerde berig te skryf kon die Oudts-hoorn Courant vasstel dat die raad nog glad nie die burgemeester se rampfonds onder oë gehad het of enige besluite daaroor geneem het nie. Die raad is steeds in reses tot aanstaande week. Volgens ‘n ingeligte bron is daar baie streng en duidelike riglyne oor die oprig, bestuur en besteding van enige rampfonds en is so ‘n rampfonds die verantwoordelikheid van die munispale bestuurder. Indien dit so is dat die rampfonds nog glad nie by ‘n raadsvergadering bespreek is nie is alle aanduidings daar dat die geld in die fonds nie vinnig by die slagoffers gaan uitkom nie.

Strukture nog nie voltooi nie
Terwyl daar bespiegel word oor die grootte van die rampfonds en die lang pad wat gevolg moet word voordat die geld aangewend kan word sit die brandslagoffers intussen in hulle uiters warm en lekkende tydelike opslaanstrukture sonder vloere en sonder ruite.

Met die oprigting van die strukture in Desember het die vensterrame nie ruite gehad nie en daar was geen vloere nie, net ‘n vel swart plastiek. "Met nou die dag se reen het die water regdeur ons plek geloop, ons moes cardboard voor die vensters sit en die dak en mure het gelek." sê ‘n moedelose Bettie Pieterse, wie se dogter, skoonseun en kleinseun in die brand omgekom het. "Juthe het ons belowe hulle gaan glas insit en sementvloere kom gooi, maar hier was nog niemand nie. Ek dink hulle het vergeet van ons." Van die volwasse slagoffers het tydens Desember elk R1140 van die staat ontvang as noodhulp.

Cornelia Gelant wie se dogter Andrika Jantjies, in die vuur omgekom het kry ook baie swaar. Sy het haar drie kleinkinders in haar sorg geneem en moet nou vir altesaam ses kinders sorg. Sy sê dat sy nêrens kan aanklop vir hulp nie omdat sy nie self ‘n slagoffer van die brand was nie.

Met die Oudtshoorn Courant se besoek aan die slagoffers in hulle blink opslaanhuisies van 3mx3m was dit duidelik dat hulle omstandighede uiters haglik is. Behalwe vir matrasse, komberse en klere wat na die ramp aan hulle geskenk is, het hulle geen besittings nie.

"Ons kan nie so aanhou lewe nie, April moet hierheen kom en vir ons kom sê waar is al die geld waarvan die koerante laasjaar gepraat het." het Rose Windvogel gesê.

- Oudtshoorn Courant

Haiti transitions from relief to rebuilding

(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti two years ago, sending an already struggling nation into a tailspin.

Relief organizations estimate that more than 300,000 people were injured, nearly 5,000 schools were damaged or destroyed, and 1.5 million people were left homeless.

The quake affected one-third of the country's population, according to USAID.

A cholera outbreak confirmed in late October 2010 and flooding from Hurricane Tomas in November aggravated dire conditions.

"This water now came by and washed away anything we had left," Leogane resident Charlie Simolien said.

Recovery efforts have transitioned from relief to rebuilding, but more than half a million people still live in displacement camps, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

From the economy and education to health care and homelessness, relief organizations remain in Haiti, working to meet the ongoing needs of the Haitian people, and there are ways you can help.

MFK fights malnutrition, creates jobs

Meds & Food for Kids (MFK) develops, produces and distributes "Medika Mamba," Creole for peanut butter medicine, and other nutritious foods to fight malnutrition.

When the earthquake hit in 2010, MFK distributed more than 40,000 pounds of Medika Mamba to malnourished children and patients recovering from amputations and surgery.
Today, MFK continues its nutrition programs across the country. A new factory opens this summer and will expand production tenfold.

"What this means is we'll be able to treat all the children that suffer from malnutrition, but we'll also be able to make products that prevent malnutrition and supplements for pregnant and lactating women," MFK Executive Director Patricia Wolff said.

The expansion also means more jobs. MFK's factory workers and managers are all Haitian and mentored by a small American staff.

MFK purchases raw materials in Haiti when possible and provides training for local peanut farmers to improve agricultural practices and output.

Visit MFK's website to make a donation. Professionals with engineering, technical, linguistic and managerial skills can contact MFK for more information on mentorship opportunities.

Hope for Haiti rebuilds schools

Hope for Haiti has served Haitian children through education, nutrition and health care programs for 22 years.

Before the earthquake, the organization supported children and teachers in 37 schools in Haiti's southern peninsula.

In response to the disaster, Hope for Haiti distributed more than 1,000 emergency buckets to survivors and established a health clinic that served 10,000 displaced people at the Don Bosco IDP Camp.

The organization installed solar panels at a damaged secondary school so classes could continue amid power outages. It built temporary structures at other damaged locations so school would not be interrupted during reconstruction.

Hope for Haiti now supports 10 additional primary schools, helping approximately 10,000 students get an education. It provides teacher salary subsidies and basic materials to keep schools operational.

Go online to make a donation to the education fund or to support another Hope for Haiti program.

Partners in Health / Zanmi Lasante revitalize health care

Partners in Health (PIH) and its local sister organization Zanmi Lasante (ZL) started treating patients in a one-room clinic in Cange more than 25 years ago.

The clinic is now a full-service hospital boasting 104 beds, and PIH/ZL has expanded its operations to 11 other hospitals and health centers in central Haiti.

In the weeks after the quake, PIH/ZL cared for hundreds of thousands of Haitians who fled Port-au-Prince, organized volunteer medical staff and established health centers at camps for internally displaced people.

The organization continues to expand the reach and depth of its health services throughout the country.

PIH has hired and trained new medical staff, including 14 new psychologists and seven rehabilitation educators to serve earthquake victims, and will open a new teaching hospital in Mirebalais this year.

"This hospital is the culmination of a dream dating back a quarter-century and underlines our commitment to the country and people of Haiti, which is stronger than ever after the earthquake," PIH co-founder Dr. Paul Farmer said.

To make a donation to PIH's work in Haiti from various countries, visit PIH.org. Details about volunteer and internship opportunities are also available on the website.

CAN-DO reshapes communities

CAN-DO is working to establish model communities and create jobs through its Community Revitalization and Orphanage Revitalization projects.

The organization arrived in Haiti less than 48 hours after the earthquake. Over the next six months, CAN-DO distributed 250,000 gallons of water, 8,000 pounds of medical supplies and 11 tons of food to orphanages and others in need.

As part of its ongoing revitalization projects, CAN-DO is constructing and repairing schools, orphanages and medical clinics based on needs identified by local communities.

CAN-DO also formed a team of Haiti workers called the Nou Kapab Crew made of skilled masons, electricians, plumbers, painters and laborers. Members of the crew are hired to work on CAN-DO and other reconstruction projects, helping Haitians get back to work and help rebuild.
"It's all about getting the community fired up and back on their feet, but they're the ones that are doing it," CAN-DO founder Eric Klein said. "We just bring them the resources. They're going to get the job done."

To support CAN-DO's projects in Haiti, go online or text "CANDO" to 85944 to make a $10 donation. American Express card holders can donate membership rewards points to CAN-DO.

- CNN

Implementation of 2011 Flood Relief Scheme

AGRI NEWS - A meeting arranged and chaired by the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development was held on 7 December 2011 at Upington to discuss the implementation of the 2011 flood assistance scheme, based on the R131.862 million that was allocated for disaster relief for the financial year ending 31 March 2012.

The invitation was addressed to amongst others, Agri SA, Agri Northern Cape, Department of Water Affairs and Eksteenskuil Agricultural Co-operative, and was well attended by representatives from these organisations.

It was also noted that the Orange River Farmers Union represents 22 Water Users Associations and two Independent Water Boards.

A broad overview of the flood damage and the status of the repair programme were given.

The substantial damage to the infrastructure was clearly seen from pictures and it also shows what individual farmers have done to repair some of the flood and protection walls.

Following this, the content of the 2011 flood assistance scheme was discussed. It came clear that the scheme, as it has been approved, does not cater for the repair of the protection walls or levees on either state or on private land to protect large areas of irrigation land, livelihood of farmers and those living on the land. The subsidies provided for in the scheme are not adequate since some of the individual protection walls can cost more than the value of a particular farm. In the low-lying areas e.g. Eksteenskuil, where small farmers and subsistence farmers are not in a position to make any contribution whatever the nature, due to the huge damage and that well equipped and skilled contractors will have to be called in to do the repairs.

Although there is great appreciation for the Government’s assistance, the meeting proposed that as a first priority the funds should be used (as a 100% subsidy) to fully repair all the protection walls alongside the flooded area, since it is regarded as key conservation works as risk reduction against future floods.

If this route is not taken, many farmers will not be in financial position to repair these works on their own properties within the current subsidy scheme of 50 % of the cost of repair. This will leave some of these protection walls or levees “open”, which can cause future disaster flooding. The same arrangement must apply to the small and subsistence farmers.
The meeting suggested that second, third and fourth priority should be the repair of privately owned water installations and canals; roads (referred to as farm roads) soil conservation repair works.

The meeting discussed a range of strict control measures that must be in place and that the regulations must be drawn up as soon as possible. Representatives of Organised agriculture indicated that they will fully support such measures. The 24 Water Users Associations and two Independent Water Boards confirmed that they interpret “own contribution” as defined in
the Government Gazette as their duty to supervise and inspect while the repair of the works are being done. They are also prepared to serve on the task team who will perform the duties of verifying and signing off when the work is completed.

At provincial level Agri Northern Cape will serve on the Coordinating body while Agri SA will serve at national level.

Concern was mooted that the small number of local contractors will not be able to cater for the demand and that the scheme must allow for contractors from outside the area to tender, but with the strict proviso that local unemployed persons must be appointed to do the bulk of the work.Local registered engineers should also be contracted to assist with the planning of the work, supervision and signing off The completed works.

There is a lot of confusion on the rule in the framework of the 2011 flood assistance scheme that states “repair means restore to applicable standard (in DAFF terms)”. There are no specific standards and it is recommended at the norm of the 2011flood be used. The height of the flood namely the m3 water/second at the Upington bridge measured at +500mm and should be used as the future standard. The onus rests with the farmers to comply to these standards. Those works already completed by individual farmers will be dealt with under the rules of the current scheme.

Urgent presentation to the relevant authorities to amend the present Flood Assistance Scheme will be prepared by the provincial department of the Northern Cape for submission to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Courtesy of Agri SA and George Herald