Eastern Libya: In the wake of the worst natural disaster in modern Libyan history, survivors are grappling with the aftermath of catastrophic floods that have left thousands missing or confirmed dead. A powerful storm unleashed torrents of water, breaching dams and inundating the eastern city of Derna, pushing multi-story buildings and their slumbering occupants into the sea.
The confirmed death toll has fluctuated, with various official estimates suggesting thousands have perished, and numerous individuals remain unaccounted for. The mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, has expressed grave concerns, indicating that the death toll within the city alone could range from 18,000 to 20,000 individuals, given the extensive devastation.
Al-Ghaithi further voiced apprehensions of a potential epidemic in the city, attributing this concern to the substantial number of bodies buried beneath the rubble and submerged in the floodwaters.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) weighed in on the tragedy, asserting that the colossal loss of life might have been averted had Libya, which has grappled with instability for over a decade, possessed a functioning meteorological agency. WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalashe lamented the lack of a “normally operating meteorological service” that could have issued timely warnings, allowing emergency management authorities to undertake evacuation measures and mitigate the human toll.
Critics have also pointed to prior warnings, including an academic paper penned by a hydrologist in the preceding year, outlining Derna’s vulnerability to flooding and emphasizing the imperative need to maintain the protective dams.
In response to the calamity, Mohamed al-Menfi, the head of the three-member council governing Libya’s internationally recognized government, announced an official inquiry. He stressed that individuals found responsible for the dam’s failure, or for obstructing aid, should be held accountable.
Amid the wreckage, tales of anguish and loss abound. Usama Al Husadi, a 52-year-old driver, has tirelessly searched for his wife and five children since the disaster struck, leaving no stone unturned. Tragically, his efforts have been in vain, and his phone calls to his wife have gone unanswered.
Wali Eddin Mohamed Adam, 24, a Sudanese brick factory worker residing on the outskirts of Derna, vividly recalls awakening to the thundering deluge on the fateful night. Rushing to the city center, he was met with devastation. Nine of his co-workers perished, and approximately 15 others lost their families to the merciless floodwaters.
International aid efforts have been initiated, with teams arriving from Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Qatar. Turkey dispatched a vessel laden with equipment to establish two field hospitals. Italy contributed three aircraft loaded with supplies and personnel, along with two navy ships, although the debris-choked port in Derna posed considerable challenges for offloading.
The World Health Organization (WHO) pledged support by allocating $2 million from its emergency fund to aid victims, characterizing the floods as a “calamity of epic proportions.” Additionally, the WHO will dispatch trauma, surgical, and emergency supplies from its logistics hub in Dubai.
However, rescue operations have been hindered by Libya’s fractured political landscape, marked by years of conflict and a lack of a central government with nationwide authority since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) operates from Tripoli in the west, while a parallel administration, aligned with the Libyan National Army under Khalifa Haftar, governs the east.
Derna, which has witnessed a tumultuous history, including periods of control by armed Islamist factions and, at one point, the presence of Islamic State forces, has recently been brought under Haftar’s jurisdiction.
In a rare display of unity, a delegation of GNU ministers traveled to Benghazi in the east to demonstrate solidarity and engage in discussions about relief efforts. This visit is noteworthy as the eastern-based parliament rejected the GNU’s authority last year.
As one surveys the city of Derna from elevated vantage points, the once-densely populated city center now resembles a vast, flat expanse marred by mud and rubble. The dam that once shielded the city stands as a ruin, with the desert riverbed receding to a trickle.
On the shoreline, a heartbreaking tableau emerges, strewn with possessions – clothes, toys, furniture – swept away from homes by the relentless deluge. Streets are caked in deep mud, lined with uprooted trees, and filled with hundreds of damaged vehicles, many lying on their sides or roofs. Some vehicles are even lodged on the second-floor balconies of devastated buildings.
Mohamed Mohsen Bujmila, a 41-year-old engineer, has grappled with immense loss. While he and his wife survived, his sister perished in the heart of the city, where the devastation was most severe. Bujmila discovered the bodies of his sister’s husband and son, giving them a proper burial. In a somber moment, he also discovered the lifeless bodies of two strangers within his own apartment.
Nearby, an Egyptian search-and-rescue team carries out the recovery of yet another victim, and Bujmila mournfully identifies the individual, saying, “This is Aunt Khadija, may God grant her heaven.”
Source, Reuters
