The devastating drought that has been affecting the country as a result of the El-Nino climatic event has reached a critical level. The South African weather service records show that 2015 was the driest year with the least overall annual rainfall in the past 112 years.
As a consequence, communities across South Africa have seen water sources drying up with many having gone weeks without access to tapped water.

In some municipalities, water has to be tankered in on a daily basis and families must queue to fill buckets and other vessels.
But this is not enough, and some have been forced to drink unsafe water as a consequence.

Across the country however, the drought conditions have spurred an inspiring humanitarian response. The humanitarian non-governmental organisation, Al-Imdaad Foundation has also been active in many of the worst affected parts of the country through close coordination with local and provincial disaster management authorities.

The foundation has distributed 10 litre water carriers to affected communities throughout KZN as well as severely impacted regions of the Eastern Cape such as Aliwal North and Mt Fletcher. In addition, Al-Imdaad Foundation’s project coordinator, Abu Baker Patel confirmed that borehole commitments have been made in several locations including, Senekal, Harding, Mt Ayliff and Bizana in Matatiele. By Monday, January 18, the boreholes in Mt Ayliff and Bizana had already been completed.

A further four boreholes have also been committed for affected areas of northern KZN in Mantungweni in Zululand and uMhlabuyalingana in uMkhanyakude.

The most recent Al-Imdaad Foundation response took place in QwaQwa between January 13 and 16. QwaQwa has been one of the worst affected regions where certain areas have been reliant on tanker services for up to six months. Record temperatures have dried out the Fika-Patso Dam to such a level that authorities have been unable to pump from it since the beginning of December. As this dam is responsible for more than 85 percent of QwaQwa’s water, most areas have now seen tapped water run dry for over a month.

In response to the ongoing crisis in QwaQwa, Al-Imdaad Foundation teams from Northern KZN and Johannesburg offices were mobilised for an intensive water distribution campaign. During the campaign, pure water was distributed throughout affected QwaQwa townships.

Many residents in these townships struggle to obtain adequate water despite up to 32 tankers operating in the area. The lack of water is leading to the death of livestock and family gardens thereby cutting off an essential food source.

Al-Imdaad Foundation coordinator for the campaign, Hassan Shazi described the incredible joy expressed by recipients who had gone for days without water with some of them dancing for joy. He said: “the Al-Imdaad Foundation had distributed five litre and 20 litre vessels as well as bringing in truckloads of water in tanks that were used to fill the communities’ containers and buckets,” Shazi confirmed that close to 100 000 litres were distributed in the QwaQwa area during the campaign.

The distribution of water is a short term emergency response to the drought situation in the absence of rains and whilst the feasibility of boreholes is being investigated.

For more information on the Al-Imdaad Foundation’s drought relief programme or to support this project, please call 086 178 6243 or visit www.alimdaad.com