Disaster has struck in Libya after the passage of Storm Daniel through the Mediterranean. The storm left large amounts of rain on the coasts of North Africa that led to severe flooding in the country. According to the authorities, the death toll has already exceeded 6,200, 5,300 in the city of Derna.
تتجلى الدمار الهائل الناجم عن الفيضانات في المناطق الشرقية من البلاد من خلال المشاهد المروعة. تُظهر حجم الخسائر التي لحقت بالممتلكات والبنية التحتية، بعد ان تدمرت المنازل والمباني والطرق، وتغرق المناطق السكنية . يُعتبر هذا المشهد مؤلمًا ويحتاج إلى جهود جماعية لإعادة بناء وترميم pic.twitter.com/uCCQIO7vPA
— جمعية الهلال الأحمر الليبي (@LibyaRC) September 11, 2023
Although the data provided by the Tobruk government have not yet been verified, the Red Cross and Red Crescent have ensured that about 10,000 people are missing after the storm. The coastal city of Derna bore the brunt of the damage when two dams collapsed, causing complete flooding of the region. In the municipality of Derna alone, at least 6,000 people have disappeared, Health Minister Othman Abduljalil announced in statements to Libyan television station AlmasarTV.
Devastating floods have left more than 2,000 people dead and thousands missing in Libya after torrential rain.
The situation in Derna is catastrophic. Part of the city has been wiped off the map. (Libyan press agency).#LibyaFloods #Lybia pic.twitter.com/gU2qtbXKRY
— Remnant Man (@remnantman1) September 12, 2023
Other areas of northwestern Libya were affected by heavy rains and flooding. On the other side of the Mediterranean, Storm Daniel also caused heavy rains in Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, although with much less damage.
#درنة_تستغيث يعتبر الوادي المؤدي الى #درنه من اطول اودية الجبل الاخضر ولذلك حمل كميات كبيرة من المياه في اتجاهه للبحر وفشلت السدود في تحمل هذه الكمية فانهارت … وحدثت الكارثة #ليبيا #Lybia pic.twitter.com/pkj5tDyueg
— سـامي (@semo__095) September 12, 2023
Since the outbreak of the Libyan crisis in 2011, the eastern part of the country has been under the control of a government with limited international recognition and headquarters in Tobruk. Officially, the United States and the United Nations recognize the Tripoli-based government, although they maintain a dialogue with authorities in Tobruk.
BREAKING: Up to 2,000 people feared dead after Storm Daniel causes catastrophic flooding in eastern Libya, officials say.
Why am I not surprised Lybia is still left in ruins after the U.S's & NATO bombing in 1986 & 2011. While some of us are hypocritically mad about Russia pic.twitter.com/Mq3C8VQN2c
— MCP Global 🩺🇺🇸🇳🇿 (@DirectorHaruto) September 12, 2023
The deterioration of state institutions and civil society in Libya has complicated rescue efforts. The Red Crescent said at a press conference that it does not have the necessary resources to care for all the victims of this disaster.
Government sources in eastern Libya tell CNN that the damage left after Storm Daniel is the worst in the country's recent history. "Libya was not prepared for a catastrophe like that. It has not witnessed that level of catastrophe before. We are admitting there were shortcomings even though this is the first time we face that level of catastrophe," Osama Aly, head of the Libyan Emergency and Ambulance authority, told CNN.
