Ficksburg Tornado Disaster Relief

08 Oct 2011
Al-Imdaad Teams respond to the devastation caused by the Ficksburg Tornado
Ficksburg Tornado Disaster Relief
01 Oct 2011The Al-Imdaad Foundation responded to a call by the Free State Provincial Government to assist after a deadly Tornado ripped through the Makgeleng informal settlement outside Ficksburg on Sunday 02 October 2011 creating havoc, destroying thousands of homes and causing a fatality. The Al-Imdaad Foundation in Partnership with the Department of Social Development and Disaster management of the Free State province distributed food parcels and blankets as emergency relief. Members of the Setsolo Municipality, Free State Disaster Management Centre and the Ficksburg Muslim community assisted the Al-Imdaad Foundation in the distributions.
Tornadoes are very uncommon in South Africa and as a consequence even the smallest of tornadoes can have a large impact. This is especially the case when they affect poor and badly constructed structures that characterise informal settlement buildings. In the tornado that struck an informal settlement outside Ficksburg in 2011 extensive damage occurred necessitating a rapid response