Libya Protests Turn Violent as Flood Survivors Demand Accountability
Hundreds of Libyans protested outside a mosque in Derna on Monday to demand government accountability for the deadly flood, while other demonstrators marched up to the house of the mayor, setting it on fire. An exact death toll has been difficult to ascertain, with many bodies unidentified and efforts focused on helping survivors. Aid workers have been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the crisis, and Derna residents who are now homeless are still lacking basic food and supplies. One protester held up a poster that read, “The sad city of Derna demands the restoration of its rights." “We demand immediate and effective reconstruction of the city of Derna and compensation for the victims," read another demand.
Source:Libya Today
September 19, 2023 12:19 UTC
Authorities try to contain anger in aftermath of Libya floods
A week after a flood wiped out much of the centre of the city, furious Derna residents demonstrated on the streets and torched the home of the mayor overnight. They accuse the authorities of failing to maintain the dams that protected the city, and failing to evacuate residents before the storm. The regional administration said it had suspended the mayor and fired the entire city council. "Haftar's forces are under pressure to show they have control of the situation, and that they can handle the fallout. "The large number of journalists has become an impediment to the work of rescue teams."
Source:Libya Today
September 19, 2023 11:04 UTC
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Survivors of Libya's floods include 20,000 pregnant women who need health care
Survivors of Libya's floods include 20,000 pregnant women who need health care NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Ahmad Algeriany with the United Nations reproductive health agency, about conditions in Libya after catastrophic flooding, and what aid is needed. Africa Survivors of Libya's floods include 20,000 pregnant women who need health care Survivors of Libya's floods include 20,000 pregnant women who need health care Listen · 3:50 3:50 NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Ahmad Algeriany with the United Nations reproductive health agency, about conditions in Libya after catastrophic flooding, and what aid is needed. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor
Source:Libya Today
September 19, 2023 10:41 UTC
Govt gives B1.5m to Libyan flood relief effort
Govt gives B1.5m to Libyan flood relief effortForeign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, left, is seen at the donation ceremony with Libyan charge d'affaires in Bangkok Ashoor Salem Ashoor Omran at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. (Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)The government on Monday donated 1.5 million baht to relief efforts for the Libyan flood disaster. The donation was presented to Ashoor Salem Ashoor Omran, the Charge d'affaires at the Libyan embassy at a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Please reassure that Thailand will continue to be a true friend Libya can rely on," Mr Parnpree added. When asked about the charge d' affaires response, he said the envoy thanked the Thai government and people for standing by them.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 22:51 UTC
Libya flood damage ‘defies comprehension’: UN official
NEW YORK: The flood damage in eastern Libya “defies comprehension,” the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for the country said in a press briefing on Monday, two days after visiting the disaster zone in Derna. Flooding has also shifted landmines and unexploded ordnance in eastern Libya, putting displaced people at risk of injury and death. Many countries have “stepped up” and are providing different kinds of international support, search and rescue teams, as well as mobilizing aid aircraft and ships. Other Gulf states, including the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, have also taken part in the disaster response. Gagnon met with members of the Derna community in Tripoli.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 22:18 UTC
UVA Community Responds to Libyan Humanitarian Crisis With Hearts and Minds
Mediterranean storm Daniel collapsed two dams in eastern Libya, allowing 20-foot waves to breach the port city of Derna. Before the storm, there were already over 300,000 people in Libya who were in need of humanitarian aid,” Gelsdorf said. Among his many roles at UVA, Petri serves as the Wade Hampton Professor of Medicine and performs on-the-ground health research and outreach in foreign nations. Dams Serve as Cautionary ReminderRight away, Libya will need an extraordinary influx of funds to cover its most pressing human needs. Then it will need more, to cover the costs of reliable infrastructure that will prevent such floods in the future.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 20:08 UTC
More than 100 Syrians dead in Libya flood: monitor
More than 100 Syrians, including entire families, died in flash flooding that killed thousands in Libya's eastern city of Derna last week, a war monitor said. Thousands of Syrians fled their war-torn homeland over the past 12 years for Libya, which has become a launchpad for migrants hoping to make the perilous voyage to Europe by sea. "In total, 112 Syrians were killed in the flood and more than 100 are still missing," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor. The flooding has killed nearly 3,300 people and left thousands more missing as war-scarred Libya was lashed by the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel on September 10. Families of Syrians who disappeared in the tragedy have been sharing photographs of their relatives on Facebook groups, asking for their whereabouts.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 19:47 UTC
Statement from President Joe Biden Announcing Additional Humanitarian Support to Libya After Floods
Today—as the people of eastern Libya continue to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of catastrophic flooding— the United States will provide an additional $11 million to local and international organizations responding to their urgent humanitarian needs. The Department of State and USAID will help coordinate the delivery of this aid to the people who need it most, joining the concerted efforts of nations and non-profits around the world providing critical support such as water, food, shelter, and medical assistance. And—as the United States continues to stand with the Libyan people during this difficult hour—we remain committed to supporting a political path toward a unified, freely and fairly elected government in Libya that can effectively respond to its people’s needs.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 19:12 UTC
'We Have Lost Our Beloved Ones,' Says Libya Flood Survivor
Since then, Albah and his brother-in-law have been searching, at first for their loved ones and now for their loved ones’ bodies. “We only found two girls from the four children of my sister,” Albah said. “Just they could help their own beloved ones. “Tomorrow I will hear about new beloved ones who died so that I will forget about the ones I heard today,” Albah said. “We have lost our beloved ones,” he said.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 18:43 UTC
Libyan government officials face harsh criticism for response to flooding
Libyan government officials face harsh criticism for response to floodingOld infrastructure and a civil war have combined in Libya to make flooding from a storm deadly. And when I spoke to Asma Khalifa, a Libyan activist and researcher based in Sweden, she said now Libyan officials are treating the response to the floods like a war, with curfews and checkpoints, and it's hindering relief efforts. ASMA KHALIFA: It basically cripples a country's effective, quick response to a disaster and relieving its population. The dam have been flagged as vulnerable for a long, long time now by people who live in the valley. There has been a report from the anti-corruption authority in 2021 that shows that the government actually allocated money for repairs.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 18:16 UTC
International teams treat injured, search for survivors in Libya
French rescue workers have set up a field hospital in Libya’s flood-ravaged Derna, while teams from around the world including Russia, Algeria, and Jordan continue to comb through the rubble of damaged buildings in search of survivors a week after two nearby dams collapsed and saw a tsunami-sized flash flood that tear through the city.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 18:14 UTC
Libya flood: One week on and new victims are still being found
A week after a tsunami-sized flash flood devastated the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the international aid effort to help the grieving survivors slowly gathered pace Sunday. UN Libya envoy Abdoulaye Bathily visited Derna on Saturday, and posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the devastation was "truly heart-wrenching. The massive flood came as Libya was lashed on September 10 by the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel, which had earlier brought deadly floods to Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria. Bodies on the beachA week after the disaster, bodies are still washing up on the shore, along with vast amounts of debris. The scale of the devastation in Derna and surrounding areas has prompted shows of solidarity across divided Libya, as volunteers in Tripoli have collected aid for the flood victims.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 17:55 UTC
UN warns of disease threat in flood-ravaged east Libya
Local officials, aid agencies and the World Health Organization “are concerned about the risk of disease outbreak, particularly from contaminated water and the lack of sanitation”, the United Nations said. Libya’s disease control centre banned citizens in the disaster zone from drinking water from local mains, warning that it is “polluted”. “The buildings, the neighbourhood, the villagers, the sheikhs... the wadi has returned to the state it was 1,000 years ago. Libyan officials and humanitarian groups have warned, however, that the final toll could be much higher, with thousands still missing. On Monday the Tripoli-based government said it launched work to build a temporary bridge that would span the river that cuts through Derna.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 17:43 UTC
U.N. warns Libya could face "second devastating crisis" if disease spreads in decimated Derna
A man walks past the rubble of a destroyed building in Libya's eastern city of Derna, Sept. 18, 2023, following deadly flash floods. MAHMUD TURKIA/AFP/GettyLibya's disease control center banned citizens in the disaster zone from drinking water from local mains, warning that it is "polluted." Rescue teams walk in a destroyed area in Libya's eastern city of Derna, Sept. 18, 2023, following deadly flash floods. The health minister of the divided country's eastern administration, Othman Abdeljalil, has said 3,283 people were confirmed dead in Derna. On Monday the Tripoli-based government said it launched work to build a temporary bridge that would span the river that cuts through Derna.
Source:Libya Today
September 18, 2023 17:42 UTC