The United Nations Emergency Response Agency estimates that hundreds of thousands of people are in urgent need of help following the devastating floods in Libya. The situation is especially critical in the northeast of the country.
Nearly 900,000 people in five provinces of the civil war country lived in areas “directly and to varying degrees” affected by storm “Daniel” and the flash flooding it caused. In an emergency appeal, the UN Humanitarian Office called for emergency aid worth $71.4 million (about €67 million) “to meet the urgent needs of the 250,000 most affected Libyans.”
International aid is coming slowly. Numerous countries have offered assistance. Aid organizations such as Doctors Without Borders announced the arrival of an emergency team. It consists of logistics and medical staff. They also bring emergency equipment to treat the injured and body bags for the Libyan Red Crescent. Further help comes from neighboring countries Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, but also from Turkey. France, the Netherlands and Italy also offered support.
In addition to rescue workers, there are also numerous humanitarian goods on board the transport ships and aircraft. The World Food Program (WFP) has started providing food to thousands of families in the disaster areas. The urgently needed food aid is being provided to more than 5,000 families, the organization said.
Warring parties work together
‘Daniel’ reached the North African country on Sunday. Two dams broke near the particularly affected city of Darna, and entire neighborhoods of the city of 100,000 inhabitants were literally washed into the sea. “We expect a very large number of victims,” Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Gheithy told Arab broadcaster Al-Arabija. Based on the districts destroyed, “there could be 18,000 to 20,000 deaths.” So far there are official reports of more than 5,000 deaths.
There is also fear of epidemics because sanitary facilities have been destroyed and the water supply has been interrupted in many places. Bodies of flood victims lie on the streets, while hospital mortuaries are already bursting at the seams. If there is anything positive amid these hardships, it is the fact that Libya’s two warring governments – one in the east and the other in the west – are now working together to help the people as quickly as possible.
Is shock followed by open anger at the authorities?
Observers also fear that anger over the disaster will spread to the streets. “The shock, which could turn into open anger in the coming weeks, is comparable to what led to the uprisings in early 2011,” writes expert Jalel Harchaoui on X (formerly Twitter).
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
