2023-09-14 13:21:00
The international effort to help Libya, victim of floods similar to a tsunami that left thousands dead and missing, was intensified this Thursday (14).
Military planes and ships from countries in the Middle East and Europe are transporting emergency aid to the war-torn North African country.
In addition to the dead and missing, tens of thousands of people were displaced by Sunday’s flash floods, caused by Storm Daniel, which particularly affected the coastal city of Derna.
Witnesses compared the floods to a tsunami. Two dams on the River Derna broke and caused floods of water and mud that destroyed buildings and vehicles along the way.
Many people were swept into the sea. On Tuesday, bodies began to appear in the Mediterranean, whose water turned the color of mud.
The UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said most of the casualties “could have been avoided” if early warning and emergency management systems had worked properly.
This is the second natural phenomenon to affect North Africa in recent days. A violent earthquake shook Morocco last Friday and killed nearly 3,000 people.
The UN has pledged US$10 million (R$49.2 million at current exchange rates) to help survivors in Libya, including at least 30,000 people who, according to the organization, were left homeless in Derna.
The number represents almost a third of the eastern Libyan city’s population before the disaster.
Immense challenges
The challenges for humanitarian workers are immense.
“Roads are blocked, destroyed and flooded, making access of humanitarian aid difficult,” said the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In addition, the bridges over the River Derna that connect the east of the city with the west collapsed, the UN agency reported.
The United Kingdom announced initial aid of US$1.25 million (R$6.1 million at current exchange rates) and said it is working with “trusted partners on the ground” to identify the most urgent basic needs, including shelter, medical care and sanitation.
The president of neighboring Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, ordered the creation of camps for the homeless, according to state media.
France sent almost 40 rescuers and tons of medical supplies, as well as a field hospital.
Turkey, one of the first nations to offer assistance, announced it was sending additional aid by boat, including two field hospitals.
The country is also awaiting the arrival of an Italian ship with logistical and medical assistance.
Combination of factors
The European Union announced the sending of aid from Germany, Romania and Finland.
Algeria, Qatar and Tunisia also promised aid. The UAE government sent two planes with 150 tons of aid.
The Palestinian press announced the sending of a rescue mission, and Jordan sent a military plane with food, tents, blankets and mattresses.
Libya, a country with large oil reserves, is still recovering from the war and chaos following the uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The country is divided between two rival governments: the internationally recognized administration based in the capital Tripoli; and a separate administration in the east, the region affected by the disaster.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Interior of the government installed in the east of the country, Lieutenant Tarek al Kharraz, stated that, as of Wednesday, 3,840 deaths had been recorded in the city of Derna. Of this total, 3,190 have already been buried. Among the victims are at least 400 foreigners, mainly Sudanese and Egyptians.
More than 2,400 people remain missing, according to eastern authorities.
The press publishes even more serious reports of victims, based on several testimonies.
A source from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (FICR) said the floods may have left 10,000 people missing.
Another Red Cross source warned against the risk linked to landmines washed away by water.
Storm Daniel made landfall on the east coast of Libya on Sunday. It first reached the metropolis of Benghazi and then headed east, impacting the cities of Jabal al Akhdar (northeast), Shahat (Cyrene), Al Marj, Al Bayda and Susa (Apolonia). Derna was affected particularly violently.
Scientists link the tragedy to rising water temperatures in the Mediterranean, political chaos and the country’s poor infrastructure.
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