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Durban - Volunteers from aid and relief non-government organisation (NGO) Gift of the Givers descended on the notorious Glebelands Hostel in Umlazi to distribute food on Monday.
The hostel, and the community it houses, has been ravaged by violence perpetrated by alleged hit squads.
Some 44 people have been murdered at the hostel since March 2014.
The hostel is home to about 22000 people living in 80 blocks of varying sizes and state of repair. Some blocks have no water and electricity and are dilapidated and overcrowded, while others are newly-constructed family units.
Community activist Vanessa Burger said while the press had focused on the brutal slayings, the impact of the instability had been “catastrophic for many”.
“The suffering worsens and immediate assistance for residents and their families is urgently needed to avoid a humanitarian crisis. Gift of the Givers has kindly agreed to assist the affected Glebelands Hostel community by providing basic foodstuffs and cleaning materials to around 450 individuals and families from the seven worst-affected blocks," she said.
The packages would provide sustenance for about a month.
Burger said the average monthly income for most residents was R1 600 although many survived on as little as R266.
"Each resident supports on average six other people, but some support more than double that number,” she said.
