According to the China News Agency, Hurricane Daniel hit the eastern part of the North African country of Libya on the 10th, causing severe flooding. Officials said the death toll from flooding in the eastern city of Derna had surpassed 5,300. The Red Cross warned that the death toll from the massive floods in eastern Libya is expected to rise sharply, with at least 10,000 still missing.
Flooding reportedly broke two dams in eastern Libya, causing a severe disaster that forced residents of many communities into the sea. Analysts believe the dam failure was just the trigger for the natural disaster. Political fragmentation, economic instability, environmental degradation and dilapidated infrastructure have combined to create this disaster.
▲ Floods broke two dams in eastern Lebanon, causing severe disasters
Local officials:
A quarter of the city was destroyed
The bodies of the victims can be seen everywhere
Libyan officials said on the 12th that flooding caused two dams near the Libyan coastal city of Derna, to burst, destroying most of the city and even washing the entire community into the sea. "It is no exaggeration to say that a quarter of the city has disappeared and many buildings have collapsed," the official's Shichem Abu al-Chikiwat said in eastern Libya.
▲Satellite comparison image before and after the Derna flood
Shichem said the city was filled with the remains of victims. "There are bodies in the sea and under buildings." Sandos Shuwaib, a local resident, said on social media that he was at home when he was suddenly swept away by floodwaters. "There are corpses next to me, bodies above me, and corpses below me." Sandos was eventually washed into shallow water and taken to hospital. "I don't know what happened, my family is missing."
Mustafa Salem, a 39-year-old local resident, said he lost 30 loved ones at once. "Most people were sleeping and everyone was not prepared." Another resident, Raja Sasi, recalled that I thought it was just a heavy rain, but instead I heard an explosion in the middle of the night. I later learned that the dam had burst. "Of the whole family, only me, my wife and my youngest daughter survived. Everyone else died. ”
Rami Ershabi, a World Health Organization's correspondent in Libya, said an "unfathomable catastrophe" was unfolding in Derna. Rescuer Qassem Katani revealed that it was difficult for outside rescuers to reach Drna due to the severe damage to the road. Derna now has no clean drinking water and medical supplies are scarce. "The only hospital in the area is no longer able to accept patients because there are already more than 700 bodies waiting to be processed, and the hospital is not large enough to accept more patients."
Cheneyb, chairman of the National Committee on U.S.-Libya Relations, said he used to travel frequently to Drna, "where the situation is grossly exaggerated." The only hospital still operating is a five-bedroom rental villa. ””
Why is this happening?
"Natural disaster" or "man-made disaster"?
Analysts believe the dam failure was just the trigger for the natural disaster. Political fragmentation, economic instability, environmental degradation and dilapidated infrastructure have combined to create this disaster.
Geographically, Derna is located on the Mediterranean coast. According to the United Nations, global warming has led to the expansion of the Mediterranean, causing sea levels to rise, eroding coastal areas and triggering flooding in surrounding areas. Among them, Libya's low-lying coastal areas are particularly at risk. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Mediterranean Sea experiences an average of 1-2 similar hurricanes per year. As the climate warms, hotter air can absorb more moisture, and hurricanes bring more rainfall. In addition, after the summer, the land dries up and cannot absorb much water, which is one of the reasons why the damage in Derna is serious.
▲ Drna, Libya, the country was in a mess after the flood. Image from Visual China
Just days before the floods in Libya, another North African country, Morocco, was also reported to have a severe earthquake. However, Anas El Gomati, director of the Sadeq Institute, which studies Libyan politics, noted that the two disasters could not be compared with each other. "Earthquakes are unpredictable, and flooding in Libya is predictable. But the authorities did not monitor developments and did not warn residents. ”
The media reported in October 2022 that Libya would complete the nomination of candidates for various sovereign positions in the country by the end of December of that year to form a unified government and end the confrontation between the eastern and western governments of the country. But in fact, Libya is still in a situation where the two governments coexist.
Libya is reportedly located in North Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Since the overthrow of Qaddafi's regime in 2011, the oil-rich country has been plunged into turmoil, with governments between East and West clashing at one point. The UN-recognized Government of National Unity and its supporting armed forces control parts of the west, while the Libyan National Congress, allied with the National Army, controls mainly the eastern and central regions. The flood-stricken Derna came under the latter's control.
In terms of infrastructure, the infrastructure of the city of Derna is very old and in poor condition. Delna's deputy mayor Mandeno said the city's dams had not been repaired for more than two decades and the city's other infrastructure could not withstand flooding. "The two collapsed dams have not been maintained since 2002 and are not large, one of which is only 70 meters long." Libyan hydrologist Asor noted last year that frequent flooding had a negative impact on Derna. Because of the serious threat, he called for immediate measures to maintain the dam.
The government in the western part of the country reportedly extended a helping hand to Derna after the disaster, sending a plane to the disaster zone with 14 tons of supplies, including medicines, body bags and 87 medical personnel. However, Cheneyb pointed out that Libya's long-standing East-West division has led to huge differences and resentments between the two sides, which has also had a significant impact on follow-up relief efforts.
Red Star News reporter Li Jinrui
Edited by Zhang Li Editor-in-Chief by Guan Li