Libya flooding: Why one Washington Post columnist says it's 'everyone's fault'
Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd talks with Washington Post columnist Ishaan Tharoor about who bears responsibility for the devastating flooding in eastern Libya. This article was originally published on WBUR.org. Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 18:36 UTC
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UAE victim identification unit arrives in flood-hit Derna, Libya
The UAE’s humanitarian delegation has sent a dedicated disaster victim identification team to help identify the bodies of flood victims in Derna, Libya. The DVI unit sent a 26-strong team of Emiratis on Thursday with equipment and expertise to start the process of identifying the victims recovered from rubble or retrieved from flood waters. “We have sent a dedicated team made up of DNA, forensic anthropology, dental and crime scene forensic experts to Derna. A team from the UAE’s disaster victim identification unit in a meeting with Libyan officials in Derna. The disaster victim identification team from the UAE after arriving in Derna.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 17:39 UTC
Khalifa Haftar will use Libya’s floods to deepen his control
For thugs who dominate eastern Libya, however, even such basic displays of human decency are a struggle. They chanted slogans against Aguila Saleh, the head of Libya’s eastern parliament. But Mr Haftar cares little for upgrading Libya’s infrastructure. Never mind that Mr Haftar issued no such evacuation order: he is the saviour, the victims are the villains. That will not bother Khalifa Haftar, who runs eastern Libya as a military regime and has no interest in a fair vote.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 17:34 UTC
Libya floods sweep away migrants, and their hopes
STORY: Syrian teenager Ammar Kanaan had come to Libya to work and send money home. That's until the building and its residents were dragged away by the deadly floods of September 10. Ammar Kanaan's uncle Osama has come looking for his nephew following the devastation. "I tried to call Ammar and to text him, I tried through the internet, there was no way to reach him. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that when the floods hit, Derna was home to more than 8,000 migrants.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 17:34 UTC
UAE Disaster Victim Identification team arrives in Libya to identify victims of floods
Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 21 (ANI/WAM): The UAE team of Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) arrived in Libya today. The deployment of the team, the first of their kind in the world to be in Derna following the natural disaster that hit the country recently, comes as part of the UAE's efforts to aid Libya in dealing with the aftermath of the floods caused by the heavy rains, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries. Upon arrival, the team's leader Dr. Issa Ahmed Al Awadhi met with the Libyan ministers of health and interior, as well as a number of officials in Derna, to discuss the implementation plans for the identification process. The team includes a group of experts, specialists, and consultants in forensic medicine, dentistry, and DNA, equipped with advanced equipment and tools for dealing with mass fatalities. (ANI/WAM)Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 17:22 UTC
Libya: Authorities in Derna must lift restrictions on journalists
Witnesses told Amnesty that protesters and other critics of the authorities were arrested. He was forcibly disappeared for three days before being released following interventions by a prominent Libyan Arab Armed Forces commander. From the onset of the crisis, journalists reported the need for security clearance and other access restrictions and interference in their work by Libyan Arab Armed Forces affiliates. Two Libyan journalists told Amnesty that local officials stopped and interrogated them on 14 September, before ordering them to leave the city. The Libyan Arab Armed ForcesThe Libyan Arab Armed Forces control and carry out government-like functions in Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, as well as large swathes of eastern and southern Libya.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 17:14 UTC
Residents See Signs of a Crackdown on Dissent After Libya Floods
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.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 16:21 UTC
‘In Derna, death is everywhere’: Palestinian mission to Libya
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.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 16:18 UTC
Aftermath of catastrophic flooding in Derna, Libya
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?
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 13:18 UTC
WHO Representative Outlines Relief Efforts in Flood-Damaged Libya
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.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 12:48 UTC
Libyan poet Mustafa al-Trabelsi, who warned of flood risks, died in Derna flood
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.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 12:17 UTC
Libya: government announces arrival of relief aircraft from 24 countries
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.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 12:14 UTC
Rescuers in flood-wrecked Derna, Libya search for both survivors and bodies
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.
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 12:05 UTC
IOM: Libya flood disaster displaced over 43,000 people: IOM
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
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 11:06 UTC
IOM says at least 43,059 people displaced by floods in Libya
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)
Source:Libya Today
September 21, 2023 10:42 UTC