A delegation of experts from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) arrived in Libya on Monday to assess the damage caused by destructive floods that hit the country’s eastern region last month, including the historic site of Cyrene, as reported by the United Nations agency.
The experts will visit the archaeological site of Cyrene, which overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. Cyrene was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982 and has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2016.
The delegation is scheduled to conduct an initial survey of the flood-related damage and identify structures in need of urgent reinforcement, according to a statement issued by UNESCO.
Additionally, they will inspect other archaeological sites, including “the ancient city of Ptolemais (modern-day Tolmeita) and the Huwa Fathi cave, both of which are on the provisional national list of World Heritage, as well as the city of Apollonia” (Sousa), as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The heavy rainfall during the passage of Storm Daniel on September 10 caused significant damage and posed threats of collapse in Cyrene, one of the five cities of the Hellenistic period that gave its name to the modern Cyrenaica region in eastern Libya.
In response to Libya’s request, UNESCO aims to study ways to contribute to the revitalization of the disaster-stricken areas. Among these areas is the city of Derna, which suffered the most damage.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the UN delegation will meet with officials in education and culture “to listen to their needs and determine the most urgent measures to be implemented,” according to the agency.
According to the latest assessment provided by authorities in eastern Libya on Thursday, the floods in Derna resulted in more than 4,200 casualties, with the number of missing individuals still unknown.
