The recent flooding in Derna, a city in eastern Libya, has resulted in catastrophic damage, described by the United Nations envoy to Libya, Abdullah Bateely, as “unprecedented in the country’s history.”
Bateely, in his statements to Qatar’s “Al Jazeera” channel, emphasized that the “scale of destruction caused by the floods in Derna was immense, with buildings completely leveled to the ground.” He also pointed out that “the extent of destruction could have been mitigated had residents been forewarned.”
In a recent update, Libya’s Health Minister, Othman Abdel Jalil, revealed to the “Sputnik” correspondent on Monday that fatalities in the storm-affected regions have reached an alarming number of 3,283. Abdel Jalil stated, “As of 5 pm today [Monday], 3,283 individuals have been confirmed dead and have subsequently been buried.”
Earlier this month, on September 10th, a devastating storm hit several regions in eastern Libya, notably including cities like Derna, Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Al-Marj, and Sousa. The aftermath witnessed widespread destruction, resulting in thousands of deaths, injuries, and missing individuals.
The Libyan Government of National Unity has announced the allocation of over $500 million towards reconstruction efforts in the flood-hit cities of the east. Meanwhile, Libya’s Attorney General, Siddiq Al-Sour, last Friday announced an investigation into the reasons behind the collapse of the Derna Valley Dam. Al-Sour stressed that successive authorities would be held accountable in Libyan courts concerning this disaster.
During a joint press conference with the government-appointed head from the House of Representatives, Osama Hammad, Al-Sour stated, “The Attorney General’s office has begun summoning the dam administration, the body responsible for dam maintenance, and the Ministry of Water Resources.”
This comes after the Libyan House of Representatives’ decision last Thursday to summon the government, seeking insights into its plan to address the disaster. The House also urged the Attorney General to urgently investigate the causes of the catastrophe, seeking clarity on whether there was negligence from any party.
