After devastating parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, Storm Daniel crossed the Mediterranean. Since Sunday September 10, it has caused gigantic floods in Libya. The east of the country is particularly affected.
Videos posted on social networks show torrents of mud, of incredible violence, carrying with them debris of all kinds, overturned cars that seem as light as a wisp of straw. In other images we see buildings and roads swept away by landslides.
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Two dams located upstream of the coastal town of Darna, wedged between the Mediterranean and a range of hills, gave way under the pressure of the floods: water surged over the town. The river, which descends from the mountain to flow into the sea, has overflowed about fifty meters on each side of its bed.
The city’s buildings remained fragile, badly damaged by the fighting which took place until 2019 between jihadist militias and General Haftar’s men. There was no warning message, no evacuations. Hundreds of residents are still stuck on roofs, waiting for help. The head of the Presidential Council, Mohamad al-Manfi, declared the cities of Derna, Shahat and al-Bayda “disaster area“.
The road leading to the ancient temples of Cyrene, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has completely collapsed. In the East, which is full of oil fields,The National Oil Company (NOC) has decreed “the state of maximum alert” And “suspended flights” between production sites where activity has been drastically reduced.
An assessment impossible to establish
Telephone connections and roads are partially cut: it is difficult for emergency services to access the disaster areas and establish a reliable assessment. The authorities in eastern Libya have even “lost contact with nine soldiers during rescue operations“.
The Libyan National Army speaks of at least 2,000 dead and 5,000 missing, but these figures are confirmed neither by NGOs nor by medical organizations – they are a priori overestimated.
The head of the Red Crescent in Benghazi nevertheless speaks of a “catastrophic situation”. Libya has never experienced such a violent meteorological phenomenon.
Call for international aid
The country has declared three days of national mourning and is appealing for international aid. Several countries, including France, presented their condolences, expressed their “solidarityé” with the Libyan people and offered their help. This is also the case of Tunisia, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, which is sending three planes on Tuesday September 12 in the morning. On board , there are 168 rescue workers, rescue boats, tents, food, generators…
The United States plans to contribute to relief efforts with the UN but the question arises of the coordination of humanitarian aid: Libya is still a divided country. DTheir governments compete for power and each manages their territory: in the West, that of Abdelhamid Dbeibah, who is recognized by the UN and in the East, that of Osama Hammad, supported by Marshal Haftar. The capital Tripoli is itself dominated by militias. There are no more public services… The country has actually been plunged into chaos for more than ten years since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
During an extraordinary Council of Ministers broadcast live on television Monday September 11, the Prime Minister recognized by the international community called on the Libyans to demonstrate “of national unity” in the face of disaster.