More than 10,000 people are still missing after Libyan floods
At least 2,000 people have died from tragic floods in Libya. More than 10,000 people are still missing, and authorities warn the death toll will likely rise in the northwest African country.
What caused the flooding in Libya?
The city of Derna was hit hardest by Mediterranean storm Daniel, “after raging torrents of water tore through two dams and swept entire buildings into the sea,” The Washington Post reported. Many areas of the city of 90,000 are still inaccessible.
The disaster swept “entire neighborhoods” into the sea, according to The New York Times.
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“There are families still stuck inside their homes and there are victims under the rubble,” Othman Abduljalil, health minister in Libya’s eastern administration, told Libya’s Almasar TV, per CNN. “… I expect people have been washed away into the sea.”
Volunteers and emergency workers are requesting immediate aid.
“We have nothing to save people ... no machines ... we are asking for urgent help,” Khalifah Touil, an ambulance worker, told Reuters.
Special Envoy Ambassador Norland: “Today the Embassy of the United States has issued an official declaration of humanitarian need in response to the devastating floods in Libya. The declaration of humanitarian need will authorize initial funding that the United States will…
— U.S. Embassy - Libya (@USEmbassyLibya) September 12, 2023
The U.S. Embassy in Libya posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter:
“Today the Embassy of the United States has issued an official declaration of humanitarian need in response to the devastating floods in Libya. The declaration of humanitarian need will authorize initial funding that the United States will provide in support of relief efforts in Libya.”
What do we know about Libya?
The country has been embroiled with conflict for the last 10 years, which has caused “crumbling and inadequate infrastructure,” according to The Associated Press.
Libyan government control is currently divided into “an internationally recognized government based in Tripoli and a separately administered region in the east, including Derna,” per the Times.
Both rival administrations are “each backed by foreign governments and militias,” and there are concerns about relief efforts getting hindered because of the lack of unified government, the Deseret News reported.
