Libya grapples with a catastrophic humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions following a devastating series of floods, with the coastal city of Derna bearing the brunt of nature’s fury. The collapse of two dams exacerbated the disaster, leaving 10,000 individuals missing and an escalating death toll.
Tamer Ramadan, the Libya envoy representing the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, unveiled this dire situation during a United Nations briefing in Geneva, characterizing the death toll as “enormous.” The health minister from the eastern administration of Libya, Othman Abdel Jalil, confirmed that over 3,000 individuals have been confirmed deceased. Alarmingly, the number of missing individuals is in the thousands, with grim projections indicating that the death toll may ultimately reach a staggering 10,000. These grim statistics paint a harrowing picture of the unfolding disaster in Derna.
Entire neighborhoods in Derna have been obliterated, with more than 700 bodies awaiting identification in the overwhelmed cemetery. Local health authorities report that up to 5,000 individuals remain unaccounted for. The situation in Derna is rapidly deteriorating, with numerous neighborhoods inaccessible and the true extent of the devastation yet to be determined.
Hichem Chkiouat, the minister of civil aviation, described the situation in Derna as disastrous. He recounted witnessing bodies strewn across various locations, from the sea to the valleys and even beneath collapsed structures. Chkiouat, who had recently visited the city, asserted that approximately 25% of Derna had been obliterated, with numerous buildings reduced to rubble. The final toll, he warned, would be “really, really big.”
Desperation has gripped the citizens of Derna, who have taken to social media in search of information about their missing loved ones. Frustration simmers over the perceived sluggishness of the relief efforts, and questions arise regarding prior warnings about the need for reconstruction of the Wadi dams in the city.
A prescient 2022 report published in an academic journal had highlighted the risk of dam collapse in the event of a flood comparable to the one witnessed in 1959. This report had underscored the vulnerability of Derna’s residents to the looming threat of flooding, a warning that now haunts the city’s residents.
Oil-rich Libya, plagued by political discord, corruption, and external meddling since the 2011 uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, grapples with a dire absence of unified governance. Decades of futile attempts to establish a functioning, cohesive government have culminated in the existence of two rival administrations, each bolstered by its own armed militias. These rival governments, one based in Tripoli in the west and the other in Tobruk in the east, have witnessed dwindling investments in infrastructure and public services, alongside minimal regulation of private construction.
Efforts to restore normalcy are underway, with an emergency medical supply plane, laden with 14 tonnes of critical supplies, medication, equipment, body bags, and staffed by 87 medical and paramedic personnel, en route to Benghazi. Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, the head of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, announced this initiative. Furthermore, Gen Khalifa Haftar, the eastern warlord backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, confirmed the arrival of aid.
Storm Daniel, responsible for this calamity, severed communication channels and internet access in Derna. Neighborhoods along swollen riverbanks suffered catastrophic losses. An absence of immediate warnings regarding dam vulnerability has raised questions about evacuation plans. Video footage circulated on social media starkly captures the anguish of residents pleading for assistance as muddy waters engulf their homes and streets are transformed into treacherous torrents.
Hudhayfah al-Hasadi, a resident, recounted the sheer force of the flooding unleashed upon the city. He noted that the depths of certain valleys, where water collected, reached approximately 400 meters. Consequently, when the dam failed, torrents surged forth like an atomic explosion, resulting in the complete collapse of eight bridges and residential structures.
Osama Ali, a spokesperson for the Libyan Emergency Authority, detailed the devastating path taken by the floodwaters. He explained that the floodwaters converged near Derna, a mountainous coastal area, where homes in the valleys along the flood’s path were swept away by the powerful muddy currents, carrying with them vehicles and debris. Ali lamented the inadequate study of weather conditions, sea levels, rainfall, and wind speed, alongside the absence of evacuation measures for families potentially in the storm’s trajectory.
Controversy surrounds whether evacuation requests were made over the weekend and, if so, why they were reportedly rejected. As Libya confronts this colossal tragedy, it grapples not only with nature’s wrath but also the persistent political divisions and governance challenges that have contributed to this catastrophic outcome.