Authorities said eastern Libya was devastated by floods during Storm Daniel on Sunday, claiming more than 2,300 lives in the city of Derna alone.
• Also read: Catastrophe in Libya: Pictures show the before and after on the ground
• Also read: More than 5,300 dead in floods in Derna
What happened?
On Sunday afternoon, this storm reached the east coast of Libya and hit the metropolis of Benghazi before moving east towards the cities of Jabal al-Akhdar (Northeast) such as Shahat (Cyrene), al-Marj, al-Bayda and Soussa (Apollonia), but especially Derna, the most damaged city.
On the night of Sunday to Monday, the two dams on Wadi Derna, which hold back the water of the wadi that runs through Derna, failed. Huge torrents destroyed bridges and washed away entire neighborhoods and their residents on both sides of the wadi before flowing into the Mediterranean.
The roads, which are in poor condition, are closed and access to the disaster areas is impossible.
Why so many deaths in Derna?
According to statistics from the emergency services of the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, Storm Daniel claimed more than 2,300 lives in the devastated and isolated city of Derna alone, but authorities in the east fear a much higher death toll. with at least 30,000 displaced, including 3,000 in al-Bayda and more than 2,000 in Benghazi, the cities further west.
An official from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reported an “enormous” number of deaths, which could be in the thousands, with 10,000 missing. Other officials speak of more than 10,000 deaths.
According to experts, dilapidated infrastructure, construction work that violated urban planning rules over the last decade and a lack of preparation for disasters of this kind have turned the city into an open-air cemetery.
After the uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi’s 42-year dictatorship in 2011, Libya descended into chaos and division between East and West.
Taking advantage of the chaos, militias were founded in the cities, some of which belonged to the radical Islamic movement, such as “Ansar al-Sharia” in Derna, then the jihadists of the “Islamic State” group, which were defeated in 2018 by the forces of Marshal Khalifa Haftar was driven out, the strong man from the East.
Mobilization of the authorities
Given the extent of the damage and devastation, the country’s authorities, both those in the east and those in the capital Tripoli in the west, took emergency measures on Monday morning to help disaster victims.
Aid convoys from Tripolitania in the west were sent to Derna. The Tripoli government under Abdelhamid Dbeibah announced the deployment of two ambulances and a helicopter, 87 doctors, a team of rescuers and dog trackers, and technicians from the National Electricity Company to try to quickly restore interrupted power.
International humanitarian aid is organized
Following the messages of condolence and support, the United Nations and many countries, particularly the United States, Italy, France, Qatar, Egypt and Tunisia, said they were ready to help local rescuers overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster, as seen on film Images from residents show an apocalyptic landscape.
The European Commission announced on Wednesday the dispatch of aid from Germany, Romania and Finland to the city of Derna through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
This aid consists of tents, camp beds, blankets, 80 power generators, food, hospital tents and water tanks, according to a press release from the commission.
According to authorities, rescue teams sent by Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have already arrived in eastern Libya.
The Egyptian army’s chief of staff, a major political and military ally of Marshal Haftar, traveled to Benghazi on Tuesday aboard a plane carrying support and support personnel, hinting that the Egyptian army was ready to establish an “air bridge,” according to media reports.