Libya’s catastrophic floods has killed more than 11,000 people

Image credit: Getty Images

The catastrophic floods along Libya’s coastal city of Derna has left a staggering death toll of over 11,000 people, with an additional 10,000 individuals reported as missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. The death toll continues to rise  as search and rescue teams hunt through the debris and devastation left behind in the wake of the two dams bursting their banks following heavy rains brought on by Storm Daniel.

This is one of the deadliest natural disasters in Libya’s recent history.

The floodwaters, which surged on a Sunday night, swept away entire buildings in Derna. The port city has also seen five bridges collapse and get washed away in the floods along with kilometres of roads and highways.

Floods devastate Libya

International aid efforts have started to reach Derna, with rescue teams managing to extract dozens of people from the rubble. However, the delays in aid delivery were partly due to disruptions in internet access and impassable roads.

Libyan officials, including the mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, believe the death toll could be even higher, with an estimated 20,000 people feared dead.

The political situation in Libya has also left a chasm in terms of governance and accountability. Two rival factions control different parts of Libya. Currently, Derna is under the control of military officials within the Libyan National Army, led by General Khalifa Haftar and his sons.

The citizens of Derna had been acutely aware of the potential threat posed by the condition of the dams and the Wadi Derna River, which runs through the city without embankments. The scale of this disaster underscores the need for urgent action, accountability, and assistance for the affected communities in Libya.