The United Nations has officially reported a devastating increase in the death toll resulting from the catastrophic floods in the eastern Libyan city of Derna, with numbers soaring to 11,300 individuals. The announcement came on Sunday from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Additionally, they shared that approximately 10,100 individuals remain unaccounted for.
Distressingly, aside from the tragic figures in Derna, other regions in eastern Libya also fell victim to the destructive floods, leading to an additional 170 deaths.
Previously, an RT correspondent in Libya reported that the Libyan National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) declared a year-long health emergency in the affected cities. This distressing decision has been rooted in the concern expressed by the director of the NCDC in Libya, emphasizing the severe shortage of medical personnel addressing the injuries and health crises caused by the floods.
It is crucial to note that the devastating floods were a direct outcome of “Daniel,” a Mediterranean cyclone, which last Sunday wreaked havoc across several eastern Libyan regions. Notably affected cities included Benghazi, Al Bayda, Al Marj, in addition to Sousa and Derna. As a backdrop to the calamity in Derna, the cyclone led to the collapse of two dams. The ensuing deluge swept away significant parts of the city, demolishing buildings and critically damaging its infrastructure.
Libya, with its vast desert landscapes, is not typically prone to floods. However, changing climate patterns and severe weather anomalies have caused increasing concerns in recent years. The nation’s infrastructure, which is still recovering from years of conflict, has been particularly vulnerable to such extreme weather events. The catastrophe in Derna stands as a poignant reminder of the importance of proactive disaster management and climate resilience, especially in regions that might not traditionally face such threats.
