Libya floods: Over 6,000 dead, thousands still missing as Derna is worst hit

Image credit: Getty Images

The death toll from the floods that have ravaged swathes of Libya’s east has risen to 6,000, with thousands still missing, according to media reports who have quoted a government official.

The Libyan National Army (LNA) which controls the country’s eastern administration said 5300 bodies have been counted in Derna alone so far, with that number expected to rise further. Derna, which lies 250 km east of Benghazi has been the worst affected with as many as 6,000 people missing.

Storm Daniel brought an unprecedented amount of rain to Libya’s northeast regions. It has led to the collapse of two dams which has inundated large tracts of land. Dry river beds have turned into raging rivers and drowned houses and establishments on their banks.

Entire neighbourhoods are believed to have been washed away in the city, according to authorities. At least 37 residential buildings are confirmed to have been swept away into the seas.

Ahmed Mismari, the Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesperson, said the floods have affected several cities, including Al-Bayda, Al-Marj, Tobruk, Takenis, Al-Bayada, and Battah, as well as the eastern coast all the way to Benghazi.

“Three bridges were destroyed. The flowing water carried away entire neighborhoods, eventually depositing them into the sea,” said Ahmed Mismari, spokesperson for the LNA.

Libya slammed by tropical storm

The storm is on track to be one of the deadliest on record in North Africa. The rain, which drenched several cities in Libya’s north-east, is the result of a very strong low-pressure system that brought catastrophic flooding to Greece last week and moved into the Mediterranean before developing into a tropical-like cyclone known as a medicane.

Libya is facing an “unprecedented” situation, said Osama Hamad, the head of the eastern administration, according to a report from state news organisation Libyan News Agency (LANA).

The collapse of two dams under the pressure of flooding, which sent water rushing towards Derna, has caused catastrophic damage, authorities said Tuesday.

? Aerial footage of horrible floods in Libya#Libya #Libye #LibyaFloods pic.twitter.com/ooh5Jetgnl

— BlueGreen Planet (@BluesWaltair) September 12, 2023

The UN-backed Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, sits in Tripoli in northwest Libya, while its eastern rival is controlled by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), who support the eastern-based parliament led by Osama Hamad. Derna located east of Benghazi is currently governed by the LNA.

International aid for Libya

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Libya has voiced its concern for thousands of people missing or dead as a result of the floods in the country’s eastern region.

“Our thoughts are with the thousands of people affected by the recent storm in Libya,” said UNHCR in a post on Twitter.

Our thoughts are with the thousands of people affected by the recent storm in Libya. UNHCR is responding with the transfer of urgent relief items like blankets, hygiene kits, and solar lamps to cover immediate needs of 5,000 affected people.

— UNHCR Libya (@UNHCRLibya) September 12, 2023

UAE sends 150 tonnes of relief material

The UAE has sent food, relief and medical supplies totalling 150 tonnes to Benina airport in the city of Benghazi, state news agency WAM reported.

Additionally, search and rescue teams equipped with machinery have been dispatched to help authorities on the ground as they deal with the impact of the floods.

This initiative comes under the directives of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to send urgent relief aid and search and rescue teams to Libya.

The team includes 34 individuals equipped with the necessary machinery and equipment to perform its tasks.

The 34-member team is classified in the “Heavy” category, which is an international licenCe approved by the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) that allows the team to conduct search and rescue operations regionally and internationally in accordance with the requirements, standards and procedures followed in this regard.

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