A 10-year-old child was hospitalised after a fire razed the apartment of a Nigerian family living in Plymouth, United Kingdom, leaving the family homeless and destroying their belongings.
This is just as members of the Nigerian community in the UK are appealing for public support to enable the family, identified as the Baloguns, to recover from the incident.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday from a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the former president of the NiUK community, Benjamin Kuti, that the incident reportedly left the family without access to essential items, including clothing, passports and other important documents.
According to Kuti, two other children of the Baloguns were forced to seek temporary shelter with friends.
He noted that the family lost all their possessions in the inferno and now depends on public support to recover from the tragedy.
“We have just received heartbreaking news about a Nigerian family in Plymouth whose home was destroyed by fire. A 10-year-old child is currently in the hospital, while the other two children are temporarily staying with friends.
“The family has lost everything, including passports, important documents, clothing, and personal belongings.
“This is a critical moment for us as a community. The family is not entitled to public funds, so they are relying entirely on support from people like us,” the statement added.
Kuti further appealed for donations, clothing and other essential items to assist the affected family as they attempt to rebuild their lives.
He also called on Nigerians living in the UK to contribute financially and provide welfare support to the family.
“We are calling on the Nigerian community in the UK to come together and support with donations, while anyone who can provide children’s clothes, shoes and essentials should do so.
“We also urge the Nigerian Embassy in London to urgently reach out and provide necessary welfare support to this family during this difficult time,” the statement said.
A fundraising campaign has been launched to support the family with accommodation, childcare, replacement of documents and other urgent needs arising from the incident.
A GoFundMe appeal organised by a family friend, identified as Temi, disclosed that the affected family was now facing the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after the devastating loss.
“This family has lost their house and many of their personal belongings due to this devastating event. They are now facing the difficult challenge of rebuilding their lives and finding stability after such a sudden loss,” the appeal read.
The organisers noted that the family had been left in urgent need of accommodation, food, clothing and other essentials following the incident.
“No family should have to face a tragedy like this alone. I want to help support them during this incredibly difficult time and show them that their community cares.
“All funds raised will go directly toward helping the family with immediate necessities such as temporary accommodation, clothing, food, essential household items and other costs associated with recovering from the fire and rebuilding their home and lives,” the statement added.
As at the time of filing this report, a sum of £1,703 has been raised out of the £5,500 target.
The appeal comes amid growing concerns over the welfare of vulnerable migrant families affected by emergencies and unforeseen disasters in the United Kingdom.
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