Thousands feared dead, missing as flood ravages Libya

September 12, 2023 12:23 pm

Nearly 3,000 have died and around 10,000 are feared missing after massive floods ravaged parts of eastern Libya.

Major parts of the city of Derna — home to approximately 100,000 people — were swept away on Sunday after Storm Daniel, an extremely deadly Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone, collapsed two dams.

The dams were said to have submerged many buildings in the area while drowning some residents.

A seafront bridge was also washed away as tonnes of water rushed to the sea.

Authorities labelled the area a “disaster city”.

On Tuesday, Tamer Ramadan, head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) delegation in Libya, said the death toll was likely to increase.

“We can confirm from our independent sources of information that the number of missing people is hitting 10,000 so far,” Ramadan said.

“The death toll is huge and might reach thousands.”

Ramadan said IFRC could soon launch an appeal for emergency funding to support Libya’s flood victims, listing the challenges as “ranging between access to basic health facilities for health services, shelter and shelter management, food and non-food items”.

The IFRC head said the aid organisation had the support of both rival governments in Benghazi and Tripoli.

“The government in Tripoli will be sending medical assistance and medical convoys to the east to support in rescuing the affected population,” Ramadan added.

Meanwhile, countries have sent their condolences and begun to rollout aid for the North African country.

On Monday, a plane carrying search and rescue teams and survival supplies arrived from Turkey.

“We continue to deliver search and rescue teams and aid materials to Libya, a friendly and brotherly country,” the Turkish defence ministry said.

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), also pledged to send search and rescue teams, while neighbouring Algeria and Egypt sent condolences in the aftermath of the disaster.

Last week, Storm Daniel struck Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, killing more than a dozen people.

On Monday, Egypt’s meteorological organisation said rainclouds had multiplied over the northwestern coast after the country began to make preparations for the cyclone.

Climate experts have warned that global warming will intensify environmental disasters such as storms.