Du Noon fire: Destitute victims hang in the balance due to delayed aid

It has been two weeks since a devastating fire ripped through the Site 5 informal settlement in Du Noon, destroying more than 600 shacks and leaving an estimated 2,600 people homeless.

But there is still no word from the national Department of Human Settlements on when emergency building kits will be delivered to affected residents. Last week, the department told Eyewitness News it was in the process of sourcing materials and that assistance would be rolled out soon.

Since then, however, residents said there has been little clarity on timelines or the type of support they can expect.

Eyewitness News visited the area, where many families are still trying to piece their lives back together. Many of them are relying on temporary shelter as they wait for basic building materials to rebuild their homes.

Some residents said they can no longer afford to wait and are being forced to find their own solutions.

Community leaders are calling on authorities to urgently intervene, warning that further delays will deepen the humanitarian crisis in the area.