# FEATURE-South Africa flooding leaves survivors traumatised, homeless
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-06-01
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Counselling Vital for Flood Victims' Recovery
Meta Description: Experts emphasise the importance of counselling for recovery efforts after floods leave more than 6,000 people homeless in KwaZulu-Natal province. Victims
URL: https://financedigest.com/feature-south-africa-flooding-leaves-survivors-traumatised-homelesshtml

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• Floods leave more than 6,000 people homeless

• Many victims traumatised, unable to look for work

• Counselling vital to recovery efforts, say experts

By Kim Harrisberg

DURBAN, May 19 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – When Nozipho Sithole closes her eyes to sleep, she still hears the screams of her neighbour’s two young children as they were swept away by the floodwaters that killed hundreds of people in [South Africa](https://www.financedigest.com/inmobi-and-coca-cola-win-mma-smarties-south-africa-award-for-beat-can-campaign.html "InMobi and Coca-Cola Win MMA SMARTIES South Africa Award for Beat Can Campaign") last month.

Like Sithole, many of those [living in a community hall in the eastern city](https://www.financedigest.com/codex-raises-over-190000-usd-at-live-charity-auction-at-ethereal-summit-in-new-york-city.html "Codex Raises Over 0,000 USD at Live Charity Auction at Ethereal Summit in New York City") of Durban are haunted by what they saw, and what they lost.

Muffled sobs echo through the shelter at night, she said.

The night the floods started, the sand looked like it was boiling from the water, the whole house was moving,” said the 35-year-old, who gave up her [care job at an old-age home](https://www.financedigest.com/home-care-chemicals-market-is-expected-to-expand-at-a-cagr-close-to-5-over-the-assessment-period-of-2021-and-2031.html "Home Care Chemicals Market is expected to expand at a CAGR close to 5% over the assessment period of 2021 and 2031") to look after flood survivors.

“The sand and the river swallowed up the little ones,” she said, cradling the baby of a fellow resident at the shelter in Durban’s Ntuzuma district.

The community centre has been home to about 300 people left homeless by the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal province, which killed at least 430 people, displaced thousands and [caused damage](https://www.financedigest.com/flood-most-damaging-peril-of-2016-causing-nearly-one-third-of-210bn-global-economic-losses-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Flood most damaging peril of 2016, causing nearly one-third of 0bn global economic losses – according to Aon catastrophe report") estimated at 10 billion rand ($685 million).

Many are traumatised or grieving, others feel defeated and unable to start rebuilding their lives, said Nokuthula Shandu, a counsellor with medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Survivors are asking ‘working for what?’, what they earn won’t be enough to [build a new house](https://www.financedigest.com/meet-the-women-working-hard-in-house-building.html "Meet The Women Working Hard In House Building"), they feel hopeless,” she said.

From California to India, extreme weather shocks linked to [climate change](https://www.financedigest.com/scientists-in-germany-turn-up-heat-on-seagrass-in-climate-change-fight.html "Scientists in Germany turn up heat on seagrass in climate change fight") – floods, drought and wildfires – will take an increasingly heavy toll on people’s mental health, demanding specialist care from local authorities, experts say.

They [need to feel safe](https://www.financedigest.com/the-three-must-haves-of-cyber-security-that-you-need-to-stay-cyber-safe.html "The three “must haves” of cyber security that you need to stay cyber safe"), they need to feel seen,” said Shandu, after a day of counselling dozens of flood victims.

‘NO TIME TO REST’

In Ntuzuma, thin mattresses line the walls while [young children](https://www.financedigest.com/why-teaching-your-children-financial-literacy-from-a-young-age-will-set-them-up-for-success.html "Why teaching your children financial literacy from a young age will set them up for success") wander barefoot, asking elders for pieces of toilet paper before heading to portable toilets lined up in the parking lot.

Informal settlements of shacks built from corrugated iron suffered the [worst damage from the floods](https://www.financedigest.com/worst-flooding-since-1998-leaves-33bn-economic-toll-in-china-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Worst flooding since 1998 leaves bn economic toll in China, according to Aon catastrophe report"). Many of their residents were unemployed, struggling to scrape by in one of the [world’s most unequal countries](https://www.financedigest.com/richest-countries-in-the-world.html "Richest countries in the world").

Three-quarters of the 340 people [staying at the Ntuzuma shelter were jobless](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-jobless-rate-stays-at-record-low-of-3-9-in-july.html "Russia jobless rate stays at record low of 3.9% in July").

Others, who [worked as domestic workers](https://www.financedigest.com/apples-australian-workers-go-on-christmas-strike-demanding-better-wages-work-terms.html "Apple’s Australian workers go on Christmas strike demanding better wages, work terms"), bricklayers, gardeners and informal traders – lost their identity documents in the floods, making it even harder for them to find work, said Sithole.

While the provincial government did not reply to requests for comment, it has estimated that more than 6,800 people have been [left homeless by the floods and said work](https://www.financedigest.com/finance-teams-have-been-left-in-the-dark-on-the-real-cost-of-working-from-home.html "Finance teams have been left in the dark on the real cost of working from home") had begun on temporary accommodation for nearly 4,400 families.

In Ntuzuma, an [informal system](https://www.financedigest.com/healthcare-information-systems-market-2021-global-leading-companies-analysis-revenue-trends-and-forecasts-2027.html "Healthcare Information Systems Market 2021 Global Leading Companies Analysis, Revenue, Trends and Forecasts 2027") has emerged in the shelter, led by Sithole and other women who monitor and distribute donations, ensure food gets cooked and water dispersed.

[Children have formed homework clubs to work on their school](https://www.financedigest.com/prince-william-and-kates-children-to-start-new-school-near-windsor.html "Prince William and Kate’s children to start new school near Windsor") work together. A church donated a Wi-Fi router in the hall so residents can get online.

To wash, shelter residents must take a bucket of water into the portable toilets.

What we all [need is a place](https://www.financedigest.com/fintech-needs-women-5-reasons-why-this-is-the-place-to-be.html "Fintech needs women – 5 reasons why this is the place to be") of our own, here there is no privacy, there is no time to rest,” said Sithole, adding that they had not yet heard whether government would help displaced residents to rebuild their homes.

FIRST AID FOR THE MIND

Providing mental health services is as important as providing [shelter and food](https://www.financedigest.com/food-of-the-future-london-air-raid-shelter-to-underground-farm.html "Food of the future: London air raid shelter to underground farm") aid, said Shandu, adding that people had been queuing up for counselling.

They said that as much as they [need food, we need to talk](https://www.financedigest.com/we-need-to-talk-about-brexit.html "We need to talk about Brexit") first otherwise they won’t even want to eat,” she said.

MSF has trained more than 200 community healthcare workers in KwaZulu-Natal in [mental health](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-maintain-physical-and-mental-health-while-working-from-home.html "How to maintain physical and mental health while working from home") awareness so they can refer patients to registered counsellors.

This training came from the realisation that there just weren’t [enough counsellors or social workers](https://www.financedigest.com/80-of-workers-not-saving-enough-for-retirement.html "80% of workers not saving enough for retirement") to get around, not even close,” said Sean Christie, an MSF spokesperson.

The medical humanitarian organisation is also training shelter leaders – like Sithole – to facilitate [community support](https://www.financedigest.com/51-of-brits-support-teresa-may-and-would-grant-access-to-their-personal-communication-and-internet-browsing-history-as-part-of-the-snoopers-charter.html "51%* of Brits support Teresa May and would grant access to their personal communication and internet browsing history as part of the Snooper’s Charter ") groups and inviting local musicians to play for the flood victims.

But many shelter residents said they already felt forgotten.

“It’s like we don’t exist,” said Thandeka Ndlovu, 36, as she prepared to dish out hot meals prepared in the kitchen at the Ntuzuma community hall.

She said she hoped counselling would help her and her three daughters overcome their ordeal.

They [say time](https://www.financedigest.com/rising-oil-prices-buy-iran-time-in-nuclear-talks-officials-say.html "Rising oil prices buy Iran time in nuclear talks, officials say") heals everything,” she said. Maybe one [day we’ll be able to just see](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-retailers-see-40-jump-in-boxing-day-shoppers-springboard.html "UK retailers see 40% jump in Boxing Day shoppers -Springboard") rain as rain.

($1 = 16.0878 rand)

(Reporting by Kim Harrisberg @KimHarrisberg; Editing by Helen Popper. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the [world](https://www.financedigest.com/cheapest-countries-to-live-in-the-world.html "Cheapest countries to live in the world") who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)

((kim.harrisberg@thomsonreuters.com;))

Content provided by [Thomson Reuters](https://www.financedigest.com/thomson-reuters-keeps-outlook-but-wary-of-slowing-economy.html "Thomson Reuters keeps outlook, but wary of slowing economy") Foundation, via Reuters Connect


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