DURBAN: The eThekwini Municipality has developed a new digital platform to assist with future disaster response efforts.

This follows the recent flooding that struck the city, leaving hundreds of people dead and displacing thousands.

Subsequently, accessing or offering of relief during a disaster will now be as easy as entering your details into a Durban Crisis Map, an innovative new online tool.

It was created to facilitate a link between people with suitable resources and those requiring assistance.

The city has worked closely with Black Box and PISTA, who developed and maintain the tool using data collected in the area.

However, the user-friendly platform is an independent app and is not managed by eThekwini.

A person seeking assistance can enter their name, contact details, their need, and location by manually entering an address or using the GPS function on the tool.

There are various options available on the site for people who require shelter, food, clothing, sanitation, water, charging of devices or to report missing persons.

Those with resources to offer can enter the resources they have, their name and contact details on the platform. To make identification easier, information for those in need will immediately pop up on the map as a red marker and information for those offering helping will pop up as a green marker.

Access to the Durban Crisis Map is at https://crisismap.black-box.io/
Durban Crisis Map

Darul Ihsan Media Desk