More than 5,000 people were killed and thousands more are still missing in Libya after torrential rains caused two dams to break near the coastal city of Derna.
Since Saturday night, September 9, the regions of eastern Libya and the Green Mountain have been witnessing catastrophic flooding and torrential rains, as a result of Storm “Daniel,” which arrived in the region from the Mediterranean Sea.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya said on Wednesday, September 13, that at least 30,000 individuals were displaced in Derna, the town most affected by Storm Daniel.
Satellite images show scale of devastation
Video clips circulated on social media platforms showed a large number of bodies spread out in the Shiha area of the city, waiting to be identified.
Residents and activists also broadcast appeals from inside the city cemetery to send digging machines to be able to bury the bodies.
Hisham Abu Shekiwat, Minister of Civil Aviation, told Reuters that the sea continues to throw up dozens of bodies, adding that reconstruction will cost billions of dollars.
Other videos shows broken roads, uprooted trees, and abandoned homes submerged in water.
But the scale of devastation appeared even worse than officials had initially predicted.
Glimpses of devastation
IRC calls for urgent global aid
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has called on the international community to send humanitarian aid to the people in Libya affected by the floods, warning that the situation is dire.
“The IRC is gravely concerned about the protection needs of those caught up in this tragedy, especially thousands of women and children who have to leave their homes in search of safety,” the aid group said in a statement.
“Urgent emergency shelter is needed for those unable to return to their homes, and psychosocial support for those who have seen their lives literally washed away.”
The IRC also warned of the dangers of waterborne diseases after sanitation and hygiene infrastructure was severely damaged.
Countries rush to provide aid
As international concern about the catastrophe increased, several countries provided urgent aid and sent rescue teams to help the country suffering from wars and ravaged by what a United Nations official described as a “catastrophe of legendary proportions.”
Thousands of flood victims missing
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Libya has expressed its concern about thousands of people missing or dead as a result of the floods in the country’s eastern region.
“Our thoughts are with the thousands of people affected by the recent storm in Libya,” said UNHCR in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
It added that the UNHCR is transferring urgent relief items, including blankets, hygiene kits and solar lamps, to support those affected.
