Gift of the Givers expands Limpopo flood response as roads collapse, communities cut off

Staff Reporter

Humanitarian relief group Gift of the Givers has expanded its operation in Limpopo after severe flooding damaged more than 1,600 homes, many of them destroyed or submerged, and raised the death toll to 11.

The organisation said on Saturday that widespread damage to national and provincial roads had made it difficult to reach some communities, with multiple routes in the Lowveld affected.

It said the R71 and R40 near Phalaborwa remained closed and sections of the R524 between Louis Trichardt and Punda Maria via Thohoyandou had been washed away, forcing longer detours for aid convoys.

“Teams currently deployed in Phalaborwa have already assisted 1,000 flood-affected residents with instant cooked meals. Additional resources and teams have been mobilised from Mpumalanga, where Gift of the Givers previously assisted 800 households across four districts impacted by flooding,” said the organisation.