Severe flooding in Libya caused by Storm Daniel has already claimed more than five thousand lives, and authorities warn that number could double with more than ten thousand people missing. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed that there are at least 30,000 displaced people in the city of Derna.
The death toll from flooding caused by Storm Daniel continues to rise and is now over 5,300.
Authorities warn the number of victims could double as bodies continue to wash up on the coast of eastern Libya.
“The sea constantly brings with it dozens of corpses,” Hichem AbuChkiouat, civil aviation minister in the government that governs the east of the country, told Portal.
“We have counted more than 5,300 deaths so far and the number is expected to increase significantly and could even double as the number of missing people is also in the thousands,” AbuChkiouat said.
In addition to the missing, the United Nations migration agency announced this Wednesday that there are tens of thousands of displaced people in the city of Derna.
“There are at least 30,000 displaced people in Derna,” says a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to the agency, an estimated three thousand people are missing in alBayda and more than two thousand in Benghazi, other cities further west of the country.
Dam break
Storm Daniel hit the east coast of Libya on Sunday afternoon (10), hitting the metropolis of Benghazi before moving east.
On Sunday night, two dams in Wadi Derna collapsed, releasing 33 million cubic meters of water. The masses of mud and rubble washed away entire parts of the city and left part of the city of Derna unrecognizable. It is estimated that around a quarter of the city was destroyed.
In recent days, several countries have offered help to Libya. Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates sent rescue teams.
Jordan, Italy, Algeria and Egypt have also sent aid to the country. France announced the establishment of a field hospital to help the affected population, while the United States has decided to send “emergency funds to humanitarian aid organizations” and is coordinating with Libyan authorities and the United Nations to send additional support.
The Libyan government called for international assistance and declared a state of disaster in eastern Libya. A threeday mourning was also declared.
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