WHERE WE HAVE WORKED
CityHope Disaster Relief’s impact stretches far and wide, and even though our focus is on the initial response, the hope that is brought during these times of crisis is lasting!
Community Pulls Together Following KZN Floods | 24 May
CityHope Disaster Relief, a Public Benefit Organisation based in Hillcrest, KZN, has been overwhelmed with the response from the local community following the recent flooding that took place in Kwa-Zulu Natal last month. CityHope responds to natural and man-made...
Malawi Flood Response – March 2019
On Friday 8th March 2019 the Government of Malawi declared a State of Disaster in the country following relentless, heavy rains and flooding associated with Cyclone Idai, which later hit Mozambique on Thursday 14th March. The Cyclone resulted in major flooding across...
Storm Damage LadySmith – February 2019
Scores of families were left homeless and were evacuated to community halls following a devastating storm that wreaked havoc, displacing several families in Ladysmith on Saturday 2nd February 2019. Many houses were completely damaged while others had their roofs blown...
Botha’s Hill – January 2019
On 21st January 2019 there was a house fire that destroyed one family’s home in the Botha’s Hill area. CityHope Disaster Relief were notified via social media platforms and immediately made contact with the victims of the disaster. Within a few hours the team was on...
Lavender Hill, Muizenberg – January 2019
Communication was received from a local Church leader in the Overcome Community on 1st Jan 2019 alerting the team to the fire that had ravaged the community on New Year’s Eve 2018. The RESPOND coalition team leader, Lester Sedras, activated the necessary team to be on...
Wupperthall – January 2019
On the evening of 30th December 2018, residents of the rural town of Wupperthal were called to assist as a fire began to rage out of control as strong winds lifted lit coals and cast them onto adjacent dry vegetation. The fire started as a direct result of the...
Wupperthall – January 2019
On the evening of 30th December 2018, residents of the rural town of Wupperthal were called to assist as a fire began to rage out of control as strong winds lifted lit coals and cast them onto adjacent dry vegetation. Disaster Management Assessment Although 53 homes...
Muizenburg – December 2018
On the eve of 12th December 2018, a fire devastated the Military Heights informal settlement. Several dwellings were destroyed. News of the extent of the blaze was not widely communicated and residents took to eventually requesting assistance from CityHope Disaster...
Alexandra – December 2018
On 6th December 2018, a fire incident was reported in the early hours of the morning in Alexandra Informal Settlement. Alexandra is located in Gauteng, off the London Road exit. CityHope’s General Manager, Catherine Smith, was notified and activated to undertake an...
Greenwood Park – December 2018
A 13-year-old disabled girl was burnt to death in a fire that destroyed more than 40 shacks at the Thandanani Informal settlement near Greenwood Park on Saturday 1st December 2018. The young girl was left unattended in a locked shack and was unable to escape the blaze...
South Sudan – October 2018
South Sudan currently faces a humanitarian disaster of unmitigated magnitude. A disaster that's incomprehensible to those of us who take for granted necessities like food and shelter. CityHope Disaster Relief (CHDR) refused to let this disaster go unheeded. How We...
Hout Bay – October 2018
Two people died and two others were injured in a fire that spread through the shacks in the Hout Bay settlement in the early hours of Friday 19th October 2018. The fire began in Salamander Road in the Hangberg Improvement Development Area. It took firefighters just...
Denver Fires – May 2018
In May this year, an accidental fire began in the informal community of Denver, just outside the central CBD area of Johannesburg. Approximately 64 shacks were burnt to the ground, leaving over 121 families destitute as a result. Many babies, toddlers and young...
Edith Benson Children’s Home – March 2018
In March 2018, the famous Edith Benson Children's Home in Sherwood, Durban caught fire causing major damage and destruction to a central part of the home. Gratefully, the children and those who care for them escaped harm despite the deathly blaze. Dozens of small...
Dunoon Fire Disaster – March 2018
On Tuesday 13th March, a fire incident was reported in Ususaza Road in Dunoon, Western Cape. Cityhope’s General Manager, Lori Reardon was notified on the 17th March 2018 and activated to undertake a coordinated response on 19th March 2018. The contact person was...
Vaal District – December 2017
Cornerstone Church based in Bedfordview made contact with our team just before Christmas to report a Tornado which ravaged a community in the Vaal district in Gauteng. According to reports, almost 500 people were displaced by the tornado which destroyed homes and...
Clare Estate Fires – November 2017
11 November 2017 - A massive blaze started by a single candle having gone astray, caused widespread chaos this past weekend at the informal settlement in Clare Estate, Durban. More than 70 homes were burnt to the ground, resulting in 933 people being...
Nazareth Floods – October 2017
Torrential storms affected hundreds in October 2017. Many families faced the catastrophic side effects of the heavy downpour including damage to their homes; landslides and loss of personal belongings. How We Helped Responding to a call for help from a local in the...
Inanda Valley – September 2017
In the township of Inanda Valley in KZN, word broke out that a small family's home had been destroyed by a freak storm In September 2017. The roof of their home had been blown off by gale force winds, leaving the family destitute. How We Helped We sent our team...
Somalia – August 2017
In August 2017 a CityHope Disaster Relief response team travelled back to Mogadishu, Somalia to assist a local NGO by providing 14 tonnes of food relief to the starving communities. How We Helped Our teams arrived onsite and documented how war-torn the country was and...
Knysna Fire Disaster – June 2017
The entire country came to a standstill in June 2017 when we learnt of the widespread fire disaster that had engulfed much of the beautiful town of Knysna - June 2017. Over 500 homes had been burnt to the ground and families had been left with very little. A...
Cato Manor Fire – April 2017
The eThekwini Disaster Management team called out to CHDR to assist 30 families affected by fires in Cato Crest & Cato Manor. Team leader, Rob Taylor met with Malcolm Canham (Senior Coordinator, eThekwini Disaster Management) and Ward Counsellor Veli...
Factory Fire in Rossburgh – March 2017
Emergency response organisations rushed to Rossburg following a massive blaze that broke out in a container terminal at the Durban Harbour. Hundreds of people were evacuated from the scene.Over 70 firefighters were deployed and despite their best efforts...
Chappus – Umhlanga Rocks Fire – March 2017
A fire destroying 40 shacks caused devastation to a small community in the informal area of Chappus in Umhlanga Rocks near the N2 freeway. The start of the fire was unknown but the blaze soon became uncontrollable. Fortunately no one was hurt in the...
Carletonville Fire – February 2017
Our general manager received a call from a community member within a small informal settlement known as “Slovo” near Carletonville in Gauteng. The lady named “Tabitha” was distraught following a fire which took place in her home village destroying nearly...
Durban Flood Victims – July 2016
The Challenge With heavy snow and excessive rains this weekend, severe flooding has been caused with flash floods in some parts of the province, with the greater Durban area being the most affected. Response WE WILL BE RESPONDING TO FLOOD VICTIMS THROUGH...
Malawi Drought Response – July 2016
The ChallengeMalawi Drought Response | From experiencing floods a year ago, to now facing a severe drought, CityHope is responding once again in partnership with Future Life and City Logistics in committing to send food aid to Malawi. ...
Durban Informal Settlement Fire | July 2016
The Challenge Durban informal settlement fire leaves scores homeless. Around 200 people have been left homeless after 80 shacks were destroyed in a fire in Sea Cow Lake, north of Durban yesterday. Response CityHope Disaster Relief is sending 300 blankets...
Hillcrest Aids Center – May 2016
The Challenge Having received 100 boxes of Doves Hygiene Wipes from their donor, Premier FMCG, newly appointed General Manager of Cityhope Disaster Relief, Lori Reardon and our team decided to call upon The Hillcrest Aids Centre to donate the wipes to both...
St. Monica’s Children’s Home – May 2016
The ChallengeFollowing a fire which burnt down parts of the St. Monica’s Children’s Home on the Bluff, Cityhope Disaster Relief based in Hillcrest were called on to assist. ResponseThe home’s director Althea Govender informed CityHope’s team that some of...
Vryheid Water Shortage Response – April 2016
The ChallengeFollowing the plight of those directly affected by the alarming drought conditions in South Africa, Cityhope Disaster Relief’s team based in Hillcrest responded to urgent calls for assistance by local church groups in Vryheid where conditions...
Syrian Refugee Crisis Response – September 2015
The ChallengeHundreds of thousands of men, women and children have been displaced by civil war and violence in Syria, Afghanistan and other countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa. As they flee the violence, making treacherous journeys across sea...
Durban Xenophobia Response – April 2015
The ChallengeIt’s South Africa’s shame. It flies in blatant disregard of the Biblical injunction to love thy neighbour. It’s xenophobia – which appears to have had its epicentre in Durban. And it’s impossible to ignore the vicious outbreaks erupting around...