In a distressing escalation of fatalities in Libya, the authorities have decisively shut down the city of Derna, overwhelmed by cataclysmic floods. This critical move is aimed to facilitate search and rescue teams in their relentless quest for over 10,100 individuals, tragically still accounted as missing. The death toll in Derna alone has surged to an alarming 11,300.
Salem Al-Farjani, Director General of the Ambulance and Emergency Agency in Eastern Libya, announced the evacuation of Derna, stressing that only designated search and rescue teams would be granted entry. This disaster has paradoxically united the nation. Swiftly and collectively, governmental agencies from all across Libya mobilized to assist the afflicted zones. The first convoy of aid reached Derna by Tuesday evening. However, the relief efforts have faced setbacks, largely due to the destruction of several pivotal bridges connecting the city.
The Libyan Red Crescent disclosed that as of Thursday, the staggering number of lives lost in Derna stood at 11,300, with reports of an additional 10,100 individuals still missing. Compounding the nation’s woes, the Mediterranean storm, named “Daniel,” claimed the lives of approximately 170 individuals in various other parts of the country.
The Health Minister of Eastern Libya, Osman Abdul Jalil, confirmed that burial processes have thus far taken place in mass graves located outside Derna and its neighboring towns and cities. Abdul Jalil further added that rescue teams have been rigorously inspecting destroyed structures at the heart of the city, while divers scour the sea off Derna’s coast.
Adding international perspective, Laurie Hebert Gérardet, the Head of Knowledge on Risk, Monitoring, and Capacity Building at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, commented on the crisis. She attributed part of the challenges faced in disaster management to years of chaos and conflict in Libya. Gérardet stated, “Due to years of unrest and conflict, Libyan governmental institutions aren’t functioning as they should. The level of attention given to disaster management and risk reduction is far from sufficient.”
In the shadow of such calamities, Libya’s resilience and collective response remain a beacon of hope amid the devastation.
