Heavy Flooding In Libya Kills 6,000, Displaces 30,000 - The Situation So Far

Communities can be devastated by flooding, which can result in fatalities, evictions, and infrastructure damage. Mortuaries that are overflowing with bodies would be a sign of the difficulties in handling the disaster's aftermath.

According to Saadeddin Abdul Wakil, the health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli¡ªone of the two competing administrations governing the nation¡ªthe death toll reached more than 6,000 persons as of Wednesday AM local time.

Staff members report that despite the urgent need to treat disaster survivors, mortuaries are packed in hospitals that are still not operating. According to the country's emigration ministry, 87 Egyptians who died in Libya were buried in Egypt by the government.

Authorities estimate that another 10,000 people are still missing, either swept out to sea or buried beneath the wreckage that has been scattered around the city, which formerly housed more than 100,000 people.

Floods Overwhelm Libyan Morgues, Toll Tops 6,000

Credit: Reuters

Derna flooding has caused more than 30,000 people to be relocated, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya on Wednesday.

Some affected areas are now unreachable to aid organizations because of the serious damage to the region's infrastructure. Only two of Derna's seven access points are now open.

In an effort to uphold Islamic principles that the dead should be given proper burial rituals within three days, emergency crews are sifting through debris mounds for survivors and bodies.

According to Libya's minister of state for cabinet affairs, Adel Juma, "the Martyrs' committee (has been established to) identify the missing people and to implement procedures for identifying and burying of in accordance with Sharia and legal laws and standards."

Trying to remove roads and debris to discover survivors has become an even more difficult task due to the damage Storm Daniel inflicted.

Credit: The Guardian

As a result of the storm's disruption of communications, rescue attempts were hampered, and relatives outside of Libya who were awaiting word of lost loved ones experienced anxiety.

In contrast to its adversary in the east, which is governed by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA) and supports the eastern-based parliament led by Osama Hamad, the Government of National Unity (GNU), endorsed by the UN, is situated in Tripoli in north-west Libya.

Derna, which is located about 190 miles (300 kilometres) to the east of Benghazi, is governed by Haftar and his eastern government.

Volker T¨¹rk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged all Libyan political figures to work together to end "political deadlocks and divisions" in a statement on Wednesday.

Credit: CNN

A 'Catastrophe' Of This Magnitude Was Not Anticipated

One of the deadliest floods in North Africa's recorded history appears to have been caused by Storm Daniel.

A tropical-like cyclone formed from the extremely powerful low-pressure system, which then travelled into the Mediterranean before crossing the Libyan coast.

Last week, Daniel also caused unheard-of floods in Greece, but there were significantly fewer fatalities.

The terrible storm occurs during a year marked by unparalleled climate disasters and harsh weather, including devastating wildfires and stifling heat.

While the flooding impacted other cities in the area, Derna was the most severely damaged when two dams gave way, dumping entire neighbourhoods into the roiling sea.

According to a representative for the Emergency and Ambulance services, Osama Aly, "Libya was not prepared for a catastrophe like that."

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