- Deadly Flash Floods Strike Eastern Libya
- International Response and Aid Offers
- Libya’s Ongoing Struggles Amidst Natural Disaster
At least 2,300 people were killed and thousands more were reported missing in Libya on Tuesday after catastrophic flash floods breached river dams and devastated entire neighborhoods in an eastern coastal city.
Multiple nations offered to send aid and rescue teams to the war-ravaged country that has been inundated by what a United Nations official termed “a catastrophe of epic proportions.”
The Mediterranean coastal city of Derna, home to 100,000 people, was shattered by massive destruction, as multistory structures on the riverbanks collapsed and houses and automobiles vanished in the raging waters.
Libyan emergency services on the ground reported an initial death toll of more than 2,300 in Derna alone, as well as the disappearance of more than 5,000 people and the injury of approximately 7,000 others.
“The situation in Derna is shocking and very dramatic,” said Osama Ali of the Rescue and Emergency Service in Tripoli.
People are still buried under the debris, and every minute counts, so we need more aid to save their lives.
The flooding was caused by Storm Daniel, which hit Libya on Sunday after hitting Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
Derna, 250 kilometers west of Benghazi, is surrounded by hills and bisected by a normally dry riverbed in summer that has turned into a raging torrent of mud-brown water that has also swept away several significant bridges.
The number of fatalities supplied by the Libyan government was comparable to the initial grim estimates provided by the Red Cross and local authorities in the eastern region, who have warned that the death toll could still rise.
Earlier, Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told reporters, “The death toll is enormous and could reach thousands.”
“We confirm from independent sources that the number of missing persons has reached 10,000,” Ramadan said via video link from Tunisia, a neighboring country to Libya.
“Catastrophic” circumstance
Dozens of corpses, wrapped in blankets or sheets, were seen on Derna’s main square, awaiting identification and burial. Also additional bodies in Martouba, a village about 20 kilometers to the southeast.
Monday, more than 300 victims were buried, the majority in mass graves. The river that drains into the Mediterranean Sea was thought to have lost many more people.
Libya, an oil-rich nation in North Africa, is still recovering from the years of war and chaos that followed the 2011 Nato-backed popular uprising which toppled and murdered longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The country is currently divided between two rival governments: the internationally recognized, UN-brokered administration based in the capital Tripoli in the west, and a distinct administration in the flood-ravaged eastern region.
The eastern region is difficult to access. The administration’s prime minister, Oussama Hamad, has reported “more than 2,000 dead and thousands missing” in Derna alone. Even though phone and online connections have been severely disrupted.
Khalifa Haftar, the military leader who supports the eastern administration, issued a similar warning.
In an interview with Libya al-Ahrar, a Derna city council official characterized the situation as “catastrophic” and called for “national and international intervention.”
Authorities report that Turkish rescue teams have arrived in eastern Libya, and the United Nations and several countries have offered to send aid, including Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Qatar, Tunisia, and the United States.
“Horrifying images”
The tempest also affected the cities of Benghazi and Jabal al-Akhdar.
There were reports of flooding, mudslides, and other significant damage throughout the region, and photographs showed overturned cars and trucks.
The Libyan National Petroleum Company, whose primary fields and terminals are located in eastern Libya, declared “a state of maximum alert” and suspended flights between production sites where it reported activity had been drastically reduced.
On Monday, the UN-backed administration of Libya led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah declared three days of national mourning and emphasized “the unity of all Libyans” in the face of the tragedy.
The government of Dbeibah announced the dispatch of two ambulance planes and a helicopter, as well as rescue teams, canine search squads, 87 physicians, and technicians to restore power.
Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, wrote that Rome was “responding promptly to requests for assistance for the floods… An assessment team, coordinated by our civil protection unit, is already en route.”
Concern has spread, and several foreign leaders have expressed their condolences.
Pakistan has conveyed its condolences and stands in solidarity with Libya at this time, according to the Foreign Office (FO). The FO reports that the U.S. embassy in Libya is watching the situation and discussing community support with local authorities.
In response to the devastating floods in Libya, the United States embassy has issued an official declaration of humanitarian need. We are coordinating with UN partners and Libyan authorities to determine how to target U.S. assistance most effectively.”
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, noted on X, formerly Twitter, the “harrowing images from Libya following deaths and devastation caused by floods, particularly in the east… EU is prepared to assist those affected by this disaster.”
