In a devastating turn of events, approximately 25% of Derna, a city in eastern Libya, has been engulfed by catastrophic flooding following the bursting of a dam during a powerful storm. As of Tuesday, more than 1,000 bodies have been recovered from the disaster, according to Hichem Chkiouat, the minister of civil aviation and a member of the emergency committee overseeing the crisis.
Chkiouat, who personally witnessed the destruction, described the scene as “very disastrous,” with bodies strewn across various locations, including the sea, valleys, and beneath collapsed buildings. He expressed grim expectations, believing that the final death toll will be “really, really big.”
“The number of bodies recovered in Derna is more than 1,000,” Chkiouat said, highlighting the scale of the tragedy. “I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city has disappeared. Many, many buildings have collapsed.”
Reuters journalists en route to Derna reported overturned vehicles, fallen trees, and inundated houses lining the roads, painting a bleak picture of the devastation. Convoy after convoy of aid and assistance is converging on the city to provide much-needed support.
Authorities from the eastern administration, which governs this region of Libya, indicated on Monday that at least 2,000 people may have lost their lives in the floods, although the basis for this estimate was not specified. Thousands more are feared missing as entire neighborhoods were swept away when dams burst upstream from the city.
A video circulating on Facebook, while unverified by Reuters, appeared to show dozens of bodies covered in blankets on Derna’s pavements, further emphasizing the magnitude of the disaster.
The political divide in Libya between east and west has exacerbated the crisis, with public services deteriorating significantly since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ushered in years of conflict.
Storm Daniel, which had wreaked havoc in Greece the previous week, descended upon Derna, swamping roads, demolishing buildings, and causing extensive damage. The storm also affected other coastal settlements, including Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city.
While the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli does not control eastern areas, it has dispatched aid to Derna. A relief flight, departing from the western city of Misrata on Tuesday, carried 14 tons of supplies, medications, equipment, body bags, and 87 medical and paramedical personnel, heading to Benghazi, according to Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, the head of Libya’s Government of National Unity.
Global leaders expressed their condolences and offered assistance in the wake of this tragedy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his dismay and readiness to help, while countries such as Egypt, Qatar, Iran, and Italy announced their readiness to send aid. The United States also pledged to coordinate with U.N. partners and Libyan authorities to support relief efforts.
Stephanie Williams, the former U.N. acting envoy to Libya, called for swift foreign aid, emphasizing that the disaster “requires an urgent ramp-up in international and regional assistance.” The world is watching as Libya grapples with this heartbreaking calamity, rallying together to provide support and relief to those affected.
