Attachments
Date of event
17-07-2023
What happened, where and when?
In South Africa, unstructured fires are on the rise mostly in the informal settlements, especially during the winter season.
On July 16, 2023, a fire incident was reported in the KwaZulu-Natal province, specifically in the Kennedy Road informal settlement. This caused significant adverse impacts, leaving 2,357 people (647 children and 1,710 adults) displaced, with almost all their belongings swept away by the strong fire.
Another devastating fire blazed through one of the five-storey dilapidated buildings in Johannesburg CBD in Gauteng province in the early hours of August 31, 2023. The Johannesburg Metro indicated that the building had been invaded as it did not meet the standards of safe shelter due to its dilapidated state. This was one of the biggest urban fires in the city in years, leaving 76 deaths as reported by BBC, about 175 households homeless, comprising about 422 people.
Scope and Scale
The two fire incidents left around a thousand families homeless with significant losses that required urgent support to recover these sudden losses.
- The fire incident at the Kennedy Road informal communities in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, was the worst fire disaster in recent years.
- Rapid assessments conducted by the SARCS KZN provincial response team on July 17 revealed that approximately 2,357 people were affected, including 647 children and 1,710 adults. This was categorized into 1,213 households, with more than 1,101 households having their dwellings demolished and 112 households partially demolished. Two deaths and five injuries were confirmed. Affected people were relocated to community hall. The devastating fire damaged more than 1,101 homes, displacing over a thousand people.
- 3 evacuation centers were established and later families moved out for most of them.
The second fire erupted in August 2023, engulfing an illegally occupied building in Johannesburg, Gauteng province.
- This fire left about 175 households, comprising 422 individuals, homeless and in dire need.
- It was established that 98% of the affected population consisted of undocumented migrants, with 72% being men who were often the primary breadwinners supporting their families abroad. The tragedy revealed the dire circumstances faced by undocumented migrants in informal settlements, especially during the winter season, and highlighted the urgent need for support.
- 01 center was set-up in the early stage of the disaster, at the public town hall.
South Africa Red Cross deployed the emergency response team for immediate humanitarian assistance at the early hours of these incidents. In both situations, people affected by the fire incidents were evacuated to centers. Many men, and unaccompanied children, especially in Johannesburg, were affected. SARCS provided Psychosocial Support (PSS) and Restoring Family Links (RFL) services, which included free phone call services, tracing, and case management. Additional services, including food, clothing, blankets, and mattresses, were also provided to the affected people. Immediate WASH interventions were essential to ensure access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene materials, which were critical in preventing the spread of diseases and promoting health in the affected areas.