Listen 3 min
Share
Comment on this story Comment
Thousands are feared to have died in floods that engulfed Libya’s east after Storm Daniel smashed into the North African country, swallowing whole neighborhoods and, with them, an unknown number of residents.
Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia’s war in Ukraine. ArrowRight
The city of Derna has been most acutely affected, after raging torrents of water tore through two dams and swept entire buildings into the sea. Othman Abdul Jalil, health minister and spokesman of the U.N.-recognized government in western Libya, told local television channel al-Masar that the situation continues to deteriorate in the eastern city, and at least 2,000 people have been found dead.
“I expect numbers of dead will rise to 10,000,” he told the channel early on Tuesday. The final death toll remains unknown, as many parts of the city remain inaccessible, he said. Derna is estimated to have had around 90,000 residents.
Advertisement
“We call on friendly countries to help us save what is left of Derna,” Abdul Jalil said. “The field hospital is filled with corpses.”
In photos, videos: Libya floods bring ‘catastrophe’ to Derna
Tamer Ramadan, head of the Libyan delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said a staggering number of people remain missing, reaching up to 10,000 in the five most affected cities.
“Our teams on the ground are still doing their assessment, but from what we see and from the news coming to us, the death toll is huge,” Ramadan told reporters in Geneva via video from Tunisia. He said he expects the number of deaths to be in the thousands.
So far, three members of the Libyan Red Crescent have been confirmed dead, added Ramadan, and a fourth remains missing.
Drone footage from Sept. 11 shows the flooded town of Al-Marj. (Video: Al Masar TV)
Authorities in both the east and the west declared Derna a disaster zone on Monday after the water poured through it, submerging parts of the city in copper-colored liquid.
Advertisement
Libya’s infrastructure has suffered repeated blows during a civil war that broke out after the fall of Moammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country now remains divided between rival governments in the east and the west.
‘Catastrophe’ in Libya’s Derna as deadly floods engulf city
The west, which houses the U.N.-backed government, has rushed to help the east after the apocalyptic images surfaced. Telecommunication networks were down on Monday and early Tuesday: Abdul Jalil said the authorities lost contact with Derna’s emergency services at 3:30 a.m. TV channel al-Masar said it also could not reach its correspondents on the ground.
In a statement early Tuesday, Gen. Khalifa Hifter, head of a coalition of factions and irregular fighters in the east known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), called on other parts of the country to help the cities and towns in the Green Mountain area, which includes Derna and other affected places.
Advertisement
The United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan, supporters of the LNA, have dispatched search and rescue teams and medical personnel to provide assistance. Turkey, which has traditionally supported the LNA’s foe in the west, the Government of National Accord, said it has dispatched three planes carrying search and rescue teams and humanitarian supplies.
Share this article Share
Asmahan Belaoun, a member of parliament with family ties to Derna, told The Washington Post on Monday that the highest priorities are providing a telecommunication network and helicopters to find survivors. She added that, as winter approaches, the dams must be urgently rebuilt to keep any future flooding at bay.
The U.S. special envoy for Libya, Ambassador Richard Norland, said the embassy is coordinating with the United Nations and Libyan authorities and has issued an official declaration of humanitarian need that “will authorize initial funding that the United States will provide in support of relief efforts in Libya.” He added that many Libyan Americans have reached out, “anxious to make private contributions to relief efforts.”
Share
Comments
Libya flooding
HAND CURATED
Thousands missing and feared dead after floods submerge eastern Libya
1 hour ago
Thousands missing and feared dead after floods submerge eastern Libya
1 hour ago
In photos, videos: Libya floods bring ‘catastrophe’ to Derna
1 hour ago
In photos, videos: Libya floods bring ‘catastrophe’ to Derna
1 hour ago
‘Catastrophe’ in Libya’s Derna as deadly floods engulf city
September 11, 2023
‘Catastrophe’ in Libya’s Derna as deadly floods engulf city
September 11, 2023
Loading...
View more