The authorities in flood-devastated eastern Libya appeared to be moving to muzzle dissent over the past week, arresting protesters and activists who have demanded accountability for what they say was a botched official response to the catastrophe. Torrential rains that burst two dams unleashed a flood on Sept. 11 that swept much of the coastal city of Derna and the surrounding areas out to the Mediterranean Sea, killing thousands. At least three people who either publicly criticized the government response or participated in a protest in Derna on Monday have been detained, according to witnesses and a relative. Aid workers and journalists also say the authoritarian administration that controls the eastern half of divided Libya, which includes Derna, restricted access to the city for some. On Tuesday and Wednesday, internet and cellphone services in the city were also shut down, raising questions about whether they were deliberately severed by operators.

More than 22 tonnes of food and humanitarian aid was presented to Libya’s Derna by PICA. When Raed Qazmouz and his team of Palestinian first responders finally reached Derna last week, he was stunned by the sheer scale of disaster in Libya’s flooded Mediterranean city. But the shock felt in Derna by him and his team – which included 22 water search-and-rescue specialists – was palpable. “The people here told us Derna was the most beautiful city in Libya,” he said. The PICA mission has worked in 56 countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features the port city of Derna on the northeastern coast of Libya, where heavy rainfall caused catastrophic flooding that killed thousands of people. “On September 10 and 11, over 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain fell on Derna. It shows the eroded banks of Wadi Derna, and muddy water off the coast. “Preliminary estimates by the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) indicate that 3,100 buildings in Derna were damaged by rushing water. Image Credit: NASA Earth ObservatoryLike what you read?

Ahmed Zuweten, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Libya, described the flooding as a “disaster and terrible tragedy” in a recent interview on Al-Masar TV. Zuweten said WHO has collaborated closely with the Libyan Ministry of Health since the floods began, working to deliver medicines and medical supplies. Over the next few weeks, Zuweten said WHO and the Health Ministry will jointly develop a plan to rebuild Libya’s healthcare system. Mobile clinics will be deployed to remote damaged areas, and more drug and medical supply shipments arranged. “We will send further batches of medicines and medical supplies,” Zuweten said.

Libyan poet Mustafa al-Trabelsi, who warned of flood risks, died in Derna floodNPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Libyan writer Khaled Mattawa. He translated a poem by Mustafa al-Trabelsi, who wrote about the flood risks in Libya before he died in them. LEILA FADEL, HOST:In the northeastern Libyan city of Derna this week, thousands of protesters gathered to demand accountability after floods washed much of their city and many of their loved ones into the sea. And Khaled Mattawa, a Libyan poet at the University of Michigan, translated the Arabic poem into English. MATTAWA: Mustafa was an activist, clearly.

The Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli announced yesterday that 59 aircraft carrying humanitarian aid have arrived in Libya from 24 countries. READ: What caused the floods in Libya and why are they so bad? “More than 150 tonnes of humanitarian relief were delivered to Libya by the Turkish Red Crescent Society,” said official sources. “Saudi Arabia is sending its fifth aircraft to Libya, carrying 90 tonnes of food and shelters. “However, there are dwindling hopes of finding survivors,” a Libyan security official told Anadolu on Wednesday.

Thousands of Libyans have lost family members, friends and neighbors in the devastating floods that engulfed the country's east. Many survivors are still sheltering inside the wrecked city of Derna, waiting for word that the bodies of their loved ones have been found. They are calling for accountability and reconstruction of their city but many are doubtful an investigation by local authorities would uncover the truth. The floods were caused by heavy rains from Mediterranean storm Daniel on the evening of Sept. 10. Overnight, the surging waters overwhelmed the two dams, sending a wall of water through Derna.

More than 43,000 people have been displaced by Libya's floods that killed thousands in the worst-hit city of Derna, the International Organization for Migration said Thursday. "An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by the floods in northeastern Libya," the IOM said, adding that a "lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna" to other areas. bur-ezz/ila/jsa/fz

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday at least 43,059 people have been displaced by severe floods in northeastern Libya. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the IOM added that the lack of clean water supplies appeared to be driving many displaced people out of Derna to municipalites to the east and west of the Mediterranean city. (Reporting by Nayera Abdallah)

More than 43,000 people have been displaced by Libya's floods that killed thousands in the worst-hit city of Derna, the International Organization for Migration said Thursday. "An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by the floods in northeastern Libya," the IOM said, adding that a "lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna" to other areas.

CAIRO (AP) — A day-long communication outage in a flood-stricken city in eastern Libya further complicated the work of teams searching for bodies under the rubble and at sea Wednesday. Heavy rains triggered deadly flooding across eastern Libya earlier this month. The dams were built by a Yugoslav construction company in the 1970s above Wadi Derna, which divides the city. Many residents, however, called for an international investigation, a move that shows the deep mistrust in state institutions in a country divided between rival government for most of the past decade. The council said Wednesday that a “thorough international investigation” is needed to determine reasons behind the crisis in Derna.

Recovery efforts in Libya’s flood-devastated city of Derna have been seriously hampered after critical communications in the area were cut, triggering a local investigation. When communications were interrupted on Tuesday, there was speculation that authorities had cut internet and phone lines to stem growing protests. Angry protestersHealth authorities have launched a vaccination campaign that initially targeted search and rescue teams and children in Derna and other impacted areas. The protesters demanded an investigation into the disaster to be accelerated and called for the reconstruction of Derna to be under UN supervision. General prosecutor Al Sidiq Al Sour has launched an investigation into the collapse of the two dams in Derna.

DERNA, Libya – Brigadier General Saddam Khalifa has assumed a leading role coordinating humanitarian aid in Derna following devastating floods on September 11th. General Khalifa was appointed to head the newly established Disaster Response Committee after the crisis began unfolding. According to sources, General Khalifa instituted evacuation protocols prior to the worst flooding. Representatives from NGOs and agencies involved in the humanitarian response say General Khalifa has actively participated in relief planning and logistics meetings. With General Khalifa now guiding relief efforts, the international community continues working closely with him to address immense humanitarian needs still unfolding.

Thousands of people were killed last week when devastating floods caused by Storm Daniel’s heavy rainfall hit Libya, a failed state that is still recovering from years of civil war. Record rainfall was recorded in the hours leading up to the floods on Sept. 10, with winds reaching 80 mph in some parts of the country. For many, this was just another downpour, but for the 90,000 residents of the Mediterranean port city of Derna, it became a catastrophe they had to fend off by themselves. Two poorly maintained dams in the outskirts of the city failed, sending millions of cubic meters of floodwater all through downtown and washing entire neighborhoods into the sea. Here’s how unusually heavy rainfall destroyed the city.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today... Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today... ---Unifor reaches tentative deal with FordUnifor says it has reached a tentative deal with Ford Motor Co. that could avoid workers going on strike. The tentative deal with Ford comes as U.S. autoworkers continue to strike against Ford as well as at General Motors and Stellantis plants. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2023The Canadian Press