Storm-hit Libya needs tens of millions in aid, relief groups say
Members of the rescue teams from the Egyptian army carry a dead body as they walk in the mud between the destroyed buildings, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 13, 2023.
Ahmed Elumami | Reuters
Storm Daniel has left Libya, a country grappling with conflict and economic crisis for over a decade, in catastrophe. With little resource for search and rescue, experts warn that humanitarian partners will need tens of millions of dollars to respond to the needs of those impacted on the ground.
According to the UN Development Programme, “humanitarian partners are requesting $71.4 million to respond to the most urgent needs of 250,000 people targeted out of the 884,000 people estimated to be in need, over the next three months.” Roula Abubaker, a spokesperson for UNDP, told CNBC the organization is still gathering data from the mission on the ground to determine the full cost of the damage.
Over 3,000 people have been killed and more than 9,000 remain missing with the toll expected to rise, according to the World Health Organization, but numbers have been difficult to verify. Meanwhile the International Organization for Migration estimates 40,000 people have been internally displaced following the storm. Medical centers are struggling to treat civilians and morgues are running out of space for the deceased.
Maxar satellite imagery of streets amd neighborhoods after the catastrophic flooding that struck the Libyan coastal city of Derna.
Maxar Technologies | Getty Images
“No matter how many pictures you see about Derna, you did not see anything. We don’t need water or food. We need specialized and experienced rescue teams,” Mohamed Elkwafi, a volunteer with the Eastern Libyan National Army Security Units in Derna, told CNBC.
The rare Mediterranean hurricane tore through dams in Libya’s eastern port city of Derna, Soussa, Benghazi, Albayda and several other cities, leaving a grim aftermath. The storm moved over land, resulting in severe flash floods and extreme rainfall that collapsed infrastructure and homes. Storm Daniel developed in early September over Greece causing fatalities before migrating to Turkey and Bulgaria and through North Africa.
Libya’s political challenge
Libya’s government has been marred by conflict since 2011 after the fall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled the oil-rich North African country for four decades. The government was split into two administrations after renewed tensions from the rise of militias in 2014. One administration is based in the country’s east and the other in the capital Tripoli. A ceasefire was brokered in 2020 but Libya remains deeply fragmented after the Government of National Unity was formed in Tripoli in 2021.
A man sits on a damaged car, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 12, 2023.
Esam Omran Al-Fetori | Reuters
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