One week after Storm Daniel hit northeastern Libya, unleashing devastating flooding that swept away large swathes of entire cities, the human toll of the disaster continues to mount. According to the Libyan Red Crescent, the unprecedented flooding and other storm-related incidents have left some 11,470 people dead and more than 10,100 still missing.
The death toll from mass flooding in the flood-torn city of Derna alone rose to 11,300, officials said, while an estimated 170 people have been killed by the devasting storm elsewhere in the country. These figures are expected to rise in the coming days as search-and-rescue (SAR) crews work tirelessly to find survivors. The mayor of Derna has speculated that the total death toll could rise to 20,000 based on the number of flood-affected areas in the city.
The United Nations estimate that 884,000 people in five provinces live in areas that have been directly affected by the storm and flash floods in Libya and have been impacted to varying degrees by the disaster. Prior to the storm, some 300,000 people in the country required humanitarian assistance.
According to UNICEF, nearly 300,000 children exposed to Storm Daniel now face increased risk of diarrhea and cholera, dehydration and malnutrition, as well as increased risks of violence and exploitation.
The humanitarian situation remains particularly grim in Derna, where urgent humanitarian assistance is required to save lives and ease suffering, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Saturday.
With thousands of injured people in desperate need of medical assistance, Derna’s limited operational health facilities are facing staff shortages and a lack of critical equipment, medicines and supplies, including antibiotics and chronic disease medications as well as surgical instruments and body bags.
On Saturday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) delivered 29 metric tons of health supplies to Benghazi, Libya from ist Global Logistics Hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The supplies - enough to reach almost 250,000 people with health aid - include essential medicines, trauma and emergency surgery supplies, and medical equipment. WHO also supplied body bags for the safe and dignified movement and burial of the deceased.
“This is a disaster of epic proportions,” said Ahmed Zouiten, WHO Representative in Libya.
“We are saddened by the unspeakable loss of thousands of souls. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones, as well as with all of the affected communities. We are committed to providing the necessary support to restore health services for the affected population in eastern Libya.”
Saturday’s shipment will help replenish supplies in more than half of the health facilities in the affected areas, most of which are not functioning due to shortages of medicines and medical equipment. WHO said the supplies will be given to hospitals and primary health care centers and will be crucial in restoring their functionality.
The 29 metric tons of supplies that arrived Saturday are the second delivery made by the UN organization. A first delivery of 29 metric tons of urgent medical supplies came from WHO’s existing contingency stocks in Libya.
In its latest situation report - released Saturday - OCHA said the city of Derna is also dealing with severe drinking water shortages, as water networks are likely no longer operational in many areas, while there are reports that certain sources of drinking water have been contaminated. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has already detected at least 55 children poisoned as a result of drinking polluted water in Derna.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 40,000 people have been displaced across northeastern Libya; in the worst-affected northeastern city Derna, at least 30,000 people have been displaced.
The widespread damage and destruction of homes has forced thousands to seek refuge in makeshift shelters, schools and in overcrowded houses with family and friends, many of whom themselves have been affected by the storm, OCHA reported.
With thousands of displaced people now on the move, the risk of exposure to landmines and explosives leftover from years of conflict is on the rise, as flood waters have now shifted landmines and explosives, including into areas previously free of weapon contamination, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The international humanitarian organization Islamic Relief warned Friday that the city of Derna faces a second humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the floods, with growing risk of water-borne diseases and shortages of food, shelter and medicine now posing grave risks to survivors.
Humanitarian organizations are racing against time to deliver aid and prevent further suffering. Islamic Relief said it has so far distributed mattresses and blankets, hygiene kits, and food such as milk, oil, flour and sugar – and is working to deliver medical supplies, working with local partner organizations on the ground.
“People urgently need aid now to stop this horrific catastrophe getting even worse. Thousands of people don’t have anywhere to sleep and don’t have food. In conditions like this, diseases can quickly spread as water systems are contaminated.” said Salah Aboulgasem, who is coordinating Islamic Relief’s response from the United Kingdom.
“An entire city is in grief and the psychological impact of people losing their families and homes in a split second is huge.”
“The city smells like death. Almost everyone has lost someone they know”, he added.
The United Nations launched a Flash Appeal for the Libya flood response on Thursday. UN and humanitarian partners ask for $71.4 million to respond to the most urgent needs of 250,000 people targeted out of the 900,000 people estimated to be in need, over the next three months.
Also on Thursday, Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, released $10 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund.
“The scale of the flood disaster in Libya is shocking and it is heartbreaking. Entire neighbourhoods have been wiped off the map. Whole families, taken by surprise, were swept away in the deluge of water. Thousands have died, tens of thousands are now homeless and many more remain unaccounted for”, Griffiths said.
“Getting lifesaving supplies to people, prevent a secondary health crisis, and swiftly restore some kind of normality must override any other concern at this difficult time for Libya,” he added.
Following the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism on Tuesday, seven EU Member States have offered assistance consisting of an emergency medical team, search and rescue teams and equipment, heavy machinery, technical expertise and other assistance like shelter, food and power generators.
Tamer Ramadan, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) country delegation in Libya, said on Friday that the situation in Derna was complicated in terms of access and the increasing number of affected people. There was only one road leading from Benghazi to Derna, he explained.
Ramadan stressed that the crisis was not in Derna only, but in other places in the region, where IFRC teams were trying to assist affected populations. Answering questions from journalists, the representative said that there was still hope to find survivors in Libya, but the more time passed, the less hope there was.
The flooding in Libya caused by Storm Daniel has triggered a significant loss of life, devastated infrastructure, and created a crisis for displaced people now dealing with the aftermath. Storm Daniel’s impact was compounded by the collapse of two dams that caused the deaths of thousands of people in Derna. Homes, livelihoods, and entire communities have been washed away.
Libya is in effect under the control of two rival administrations, the internationally recognized Government in Tripoli, and authorities based along with the parliament in the east. The two rival governments in Libya mean that decision-making is often paralyzed.
The humanitarian agency International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned on Friday that the devastation caused by Storm Daniel had once again shed light on the dire situation faced by conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable communities.
“Libya, a nation already grappling with the impacts of more than a decade of conflict, has been pushed to the brink by the intensifying consequences of climate change”, the statement said.
IRC underscored that climate change has amplified extreme weather events, making them more frequent, prolonged, and severe, thus exacerbating the plight of vulnerable populations.
“The convergence of climate-related disasters, protracted crisis, and economic instability in Libya creates a lethal cocktail that leaves people and communities grappling with minimal preparedness, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to essential services”, the humanitarian organization stressed.
Further information
Full text: Libya: Flood update Flash Update No.3 (16 September 2023) (as of 5pm local time), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), report, released September 16, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/libya/libya-flood-update-flash-update-no3-16-september-2023-5pm-local-time
Full text: WHO health supplies arrive in Libya as part of intensified response to devastating floods, WHO press release, published September 16, 2023
https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/who-health-supplies-arrive-in-libya-as-part-of-intensified-response-to-devastating-floods.html
Full text: Derna at risk of second humanitarian crisis in aftermath of floods, Islamic Relief, press release, published September 15, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/libya/derna-risk-second-humanitarian-crisis-aftermath-floods
Full text: Flooding in Libya is emblematic of climate change and conflict on vulnerable communities, warns the IRC, International Rescue Committee, press release, published September 15, 2023
https://www.rescue.org/press-release/flooding-libya-emblematic-climate-change-and-conflict-vulnerable-communities-warns