Storm Daniel Devastates Conflict-Ravaged Libya, Death Toll Reaches 2,200
DERNA, Libya – A massive Mediterranean storm, named Storm Daniel, has wreaked havoc in a country already torn by conflict. The storm resulted in a death toll of more than 2,000 people, with at least 10,000 missing, as it caused floods that burst dams, destroyed buildings, and wiped out a significant portion of the eastern coastal city of Derna.
The death toll is expected to rise even further as the storm’s impact on Libya, which has been divided and crumbling due to over a decade of conflict, becomes more apparent. In Derna, a city with a population of around 125,000, reporters witnessed the destruction firsthand. Neighborhoods were devastated, structures were washed away, and cars were flipped over in streets covered in mud and rubble from the burst dams.
Mohamad al-Qabisi, the director of Wahda Hospital, reported that 1,700 people had died in one district of the city, while 500 deaths were recorded in the other district. The hospital corridors were filled with bodies, and relatives desperately tried to identify their missing family members among them. Hichem Abu Chkiouat, the Minister of Civil Aviation in the eastern administration, described the situation, stating, “Bodies are lying everywhere – in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings. I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city has disappeared. Many, many buildings have collapsed.”
Abu Chkiouat projected that the death toll across the country would exceed 2,500 due to the rising number of missing individuals. Other cities, including Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, also experienced the devastating effects of the storm. Tamer Ramadan, the head of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, emphasized that the death toll would be “huge.”
In response to the crisis, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has mobilized emergency response teams to provide assistance on the ground. Turkey and other countries have sent aid to Libya, including search and rescue vehicles, rescue boats, generators, and food.
Distraught citizens of Derna rushed back to their homes in search of their loved ones, as an air of desperation and sorrow hung over the country. Mostafa Salem, who lost 30 of his relatives, shared his experience, saying, “Most people were sleeping. Nobody was ready.”
As the country grapples with this catastrophic disaster, the need for immediate action to address the damaged infrastructure and provide relief to the affected population is paramount. The international community, including Pope Francis and U.S. President Joe Biden, has expressed deep sadness and offered condolences to the grieving nation.