Mediterranean storm Daniel has left a trail of devastation in Libya, unleashing catastrophic floods that have resulted in the tragic loss of over 2,300 lives and left more than 10,000 individuals unaccounted for.
The city of Derna, situated in the east of the country, has borne the brunt of this natural disaster, with reports indicating that approximately a quarter of the city has been obliterated.
This merciless storm, originating in the Mediterranean, compounded the existing woes of a nation already grappling with a decade-long conflict. In particular, Derna faced heightened vulnerability due to the collapse of dams that typically shielded it from flooding.
A widely circulated video on social media starkly illustrates the aftermath of a collapsed dam upstream of the city, surrounded by expansive pools of murky water. The catastrophic floods have wreaked havoc by sweeping away structures, rupturing dams, and inflicting unprecedented devastation across various cities in eastern Libya, encompassing Al-Bayda, Al-Marj, Tobruk, Takenis, Al-Bayada, Battah, and extending to the eastern coast up to Benghazi.
Dwellings nestled in valleys were mercilessly swept away by the formidable muddy torrents, carrying with them vehicles and debris, as recounted by Osama Aly, the head of Libya's Emergency and Ambulance authority.
The genesis of this calamitous flooding lies in a potent low-pressure system, which previously unleashed severe flooding in Greece before traversing into the Mediterranean and evolving into a cyclone bearing tropical characteristics, commonly referred to as a medicine.
Since the 2011 uprising that toppled the longstanding ruler Moammar Gadhafi, Libya has been grappling with a deteriorating state of lawlessness and dwindling investments in public services and infrastructure. Presently, the nation remains divided between rival governments situated in the east and west, each with an assortment of allied militias. Derna, along with the city of Sirte, was under the control of extremist factions, including those aligned with the Islamic State group, for an extended period, until forces loyal to the eastern-based government succeeded in expelling them in 2018.
Hamad, the head of the eastern administration, aptly described the situation in Libya as "unprecedented," according to a report from the state news agency Libyan News Agency (LANA).
Despite the pronounced political schism between the eastern and western regions, the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, which does not exert control over the eastern territories, has dispatched aid to Derna. A relief flight, originating from the western city of Misrata, was reported to have departed for Derna on Tuesday.
As Libya grapples with this unparalleled catastrophe, the international community is intensifying its efforts to provide relief and assistance to support this war-weary nation.
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