While Libya races to bury its dead while bodies liter the streets of Derna, the northern coastal city devastated by flooding, Derna Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television the estimated number of deaths in the city could reach between 18,000 to 20,000 based on the number of districts devasted by the flood.
The death toll rose to over 6,000 people as of Wednesday morning local time, according to Saadeddin Abdul Wakil, health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli, one of two rival governments operating in the country.
The deaths followed a torrential downpour that smashed through two dams, washing homes into the sea. Hospital mortuaries are full due to the desperate need to treat survivors of the disaster, according to staff.
In Egypt, the government buried 87 Egyptian victims who died in Libya, according to the country’s emigration ministry.
The scale of the tragedy has prompted an outpouring of international support, with European Union member states such as Germany, Romania, and Finland offering aid in the form of tents, field beds, blankets, generators, and food supplies.
The EU has also released an initial $540,000 in humanitarian funding in response to Libya’s call for international assistance.
Libyans abroad, like Mohammed Bashein in the UK, are tirelessly rallying to aid their compatriots. Despite the challenges of sending money to Libya, their determination to serve as a bridge for aid remains unwavering.
Eyewitness accounts from Derna paint a harrowing picture, with doctors and rescue workers facing an overwhelming number of corpses scattered across the area. The trauma is so profound that many residents are unable to shed tears. Bodies are being laid out in the streets for identification before being laid to rest in graves dug by mechanical excavators.
The international community has also stepped in, with the United Nations pledging $10 million and numerous countries, including Algeria, Turkey, Italy, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Tunisia, France, Italy, and Jordan, offering assistance. Despite the political turmoil that has plagued Libya since the 2011 revolution, the neglect and erosion of infrastructure in Derna trace back to the years of Muammar Gaddafi’s rule.
The initial cause of this tragedy can be traced to the poorly maintained dams in the Derna valley, which crumbled under the weight of heavy rainfall during Storm Daniel. Experts suggest that lax safety measures and the absence of proper monitoring contributed to the dams’ failure. These dams were likely made from rockfill structures, which are less resilient than concrete dams and prone to overtopping. The initial dam’s failure led to a cascading effect, inundating the coastal city of Derna with floodwaters.
The floods point out there is an urgent need for infrastructure improvement, disaster preparedness, and international cooperation in the face of climate-related challenges.
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