At least 11,000 people have died and another 20,000 are missing in Libya after devastating floods swept through the eastern city of Derna, Turanews.kz reports citing RBC.
The International Committee of the Red Cross in Libya has warned citizens and rescuers to be careful as the city is contaminated with explosive remnants of war from the country’s civil war. The group warned that the floods have caused unexploded ordnance and mines to move from their original locations to areas across the city.
The floods were caused by Hurricane Daniel, which hit eastern Libya on September 10. The hurricane also affected the cities of Benghazi and Jabal al-Akhdar, which are located on the coast. Libyan authorities have declared three areas in the eastern province of Cyrenaica (which includes Derna) a disaster zone.
Due to the hurricane, two dams that surround Derna collapsed, causing widespread flooding. Water washed away residential areas and destroyed houses in many coastal towns in eastern Libya. Authorities declared a state of emergency, closed schools and shops, and imposed a curfew. The UN has pledged to “provide urgent emergency assistance to support local and national response efforts.”
The Libyan Red Crescent has been working tirelessly to help the victims of the floods, providing food, water, and shelter to those who have lost their homes. However, the scale of the disaster is immense, and the Red Crescent is appealing for international assistance.
The floods have added a new layer of complexity to the already dire humanitarian situation in Libya. The country has been plagued by conflict and instability for years, and the floods have displaced thousands more people and exacerbated the food and water crisis.
The international community must come together to support Libya in its response to this crisis. The UN and other humanitarian organizations need urgent funding to provide food, water, shelter, and medical care to the victims of the floods.
