In a grim and heart-wrenching turn of events, Libya grapples with a mounting catastrophe as the death toll from the devastating floods in Derna surpasses a staggering 6,000 lives lost. The city, perched along the northern coastal region, is now struggling to cope with the overwhelming tragedy after torrential downpours breached two dams, unleashing a torrent of destruction that swallowed homes and lives.
As of Wednesday morning local time, Saadeddin Abdul Wakil, the health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli, one of the country’s two rival governments, reported this harrowing statistic. The crisis has plunged Libya into a race against time, with morgues pushed to their limits, hospitals incapacitated, and a desperate need to aid survivors.
To compound the anguish, neighboring Egypt has had to lay to rest 87 of its citizens who lost their lives in Libya, as confirmed by the Egyptian emigration ministry. Meanwhile, approximately 10,000 individuals remain unaccounted for, raising the possibility that they may have been swept away by the relentless floodwaters or lie buried beneath the rubble that now scars a city once home to over 100,000 people.
The catastrophic flooding has displaced more than 30,000 people in Derna, according to the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya. The extent of the damage to the region’s infrastructure has rendered some areas inaccessible to humanitarian organizations. With only two out of seven entry points to Derna currently open, emergency teams are tirelessly sifting through the debris, driven by the urgency to provide burial rites to the deceased within three days, per Islamic tradition.
Tragically, the aftermath of Storm Daniel has compounded the already daunting task faced by rescuers, who must clear blocked roads and debris to reach survivors. The storm wreaked havoc on communication networks, adding further frustration to the ongoing rescue efforts and leaving anxious family members beyond Libya’s borders in agonizing suspense as they await news of their missing loved ones.
In Libya, a nation already grappling with political and social challenges, the floods in Derna represent an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that demands urgent attention and support from the international community. As the death toll continues to rise and the scale of the devastation becomes more apparent, the world watches with heavy hearts, hoping for a swift and effective response to alleviate the suffering in Libya’s time of dire need.
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