Victims of Australia's catastrophic bushfires are still living in tents, garages and makeshift shelters months after the blazes ended, with efforts to rebuild their lives hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Inside a small tin shed on Australia's southeast coast, a family of six takes refuge from the cold as the southern hemisphere winter begins to bite.
The disaster sparked charity telethons, government promises of a quick recovery and donations from across the world. Now schools are going back and some help has arrived, in the form of local man David Crooke and his crew who have put together an extension for their dwelling. His small team -- hired by private donors -- has been building shelters for those who would otherwise be destitute for months.
But with ageing equipment and a struggle to find materials, the physical and emotional toll was "flogging" the team, he said. "We were churning along, a very well-oiled machine, then COVID hit, and it kind of stopped the donations," said Hatcher, coordinator of South Coast Donations Logistics Team.
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