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According to Chinanews.com, Hurricane Daniel hit eastern Libya, a North African country, on the 10th, causing serious flooding. An official in eastern Liberia said more than 5,300 people had been killed in the eastern city of Derna. The Red Cross warned that the death toll from the devastating floods in eastern Libya is expected to rise sharply, with at least 10,000 people still reported missing.
The flooding caused two dams in eastern Li to burst, causing severe damage and washing residents of several communities into the sea. The analysis believes that the dam burst was only the trigger for this natural disaster, and the combination of political division, economic instability, environmental degradation, and dilapidated infrastructure led to the outbreak of this disaster.
The floods caused two dams in eastern Li to burst their banks, causing severe damage
Local officials:
A quarter of the city was washed away
The bodies of the victims are everywhere
Libyan authorities 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 an entire community into the sea. Shichem Abu Chikiwat, an official in eastern Libya, said, "It is no exaggeration to say that a quarter of the city has disappeared and many buildings have collapsed." ”
Comparison of satellites before and after the Derna flood
Shichem said the city was littered with the bodies of the victims, "bodies in the sea, under buildings." Sandos Shuwaib, a local resident, said on social platforms that she was at home when she was suddenly washed away by floodwaters, "There are bodies next to me, bodies above me, and bodies below me." "Sandos ended up being 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 of his loved ones at once, "most of them were sleeping, everyone was unprepared." Another resident, Raja Sahi, recalled thinking it was just rainstorms, but heard an explosion in the middle of the night, only to learn later that the dam had burst. In the whole family, only me, my wife and my young daughter survived, and everyone else died. ”
Rami Ershahibi, the World Health Organization's Libyan national communications officer, said an "incomprehensible catastrophe" was taking place in Derna. Rescuer Qassem Katani revealed that it was difficult for outside rescuers to reach Drna due to the severe damage to the road. Now that Derna has no clean drinking water and is very short of medical supplies, "the only local hospital can no longer accept patients because there are already more than 700 bodies waiting to be disposed of, and the hospital is not large enough to accept patients." ”
Mr. Shanib, chairman of the National Committee on U.S.-Libya Relations, said he had traveled frequently to Drna, "where the situation is very exaggerated." The only local hospital still operating is a five-bedroom rental villa. ”
Where is that?
"Natural disaster" or "man-made disaster"?
The analysis believes that the dam burst was only the trigger for this natural disaster, and the combination of political division, economic instability, environmental degradation, and dilapidated infrastructure led to the outbreak of this disaster.
Geographically, Derna is located on the Mediterranean coast. According to the United Nations, global warming is leading to the expansion of the Mediterranean Seas, causing sea levels to rise, coastlines to erode and flooding in surrounding areas. Among them, Libya's low-lying coastal areas are particularly at risk. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, on average, the Mediterranean Sea encounters 1~2 similar hurricanes every year. As the climate warms, hotter air absorbs more water, and hurricanes bring more precipitation. In addition, after the summer, the ground becomes dry and unable to absorb a lot of moisture, which is also one of the factors that caused the damage to Derna.
Drna, Libya, full of devastation after floods According to Visual China
The floods in Libya reportedly came just days after another country in North Africa, Morocco, was hit by a severe earthquake. However, Anas El Gomati, director of the Sadeq Institute, which focuses on Libyan policy, points out that the two disasters are not comparable: "Earthquakes are unpredictable, while floods in Libya are measurable." But the authorities did not monitor the situation or warn residents. ”
In October 2022, the media reported that Libya would complete the appointment of candidates for various sovereign positions in the country by the end of December of the same year to form a unified government and end the confrontation between the two governments in the east and west of the country. But in fact, Libya is still in a situation where two governments coexist.
It is reported that Libya is located in northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Since the overthrow of the Qaddafi regime in 2011, the oil-rich country has been mired in turmoil, with two governments in the west and east pitted against each other. The UN-recognized government of national unity and the forces that support it control parts of the west, while the Libyan National Congress, allied with the National Army, controls mainly the eastern and central regions. The flooding of Derna falls under the latter's control.
In terms of infrastructure, the infrastructure of the city of Derna is very old and in disrepair. Mandenod, the deputy mayor of Derna, said the city's dam had not been repaired for more than two decades and that the city's other infrastructure could not withstand flooding. "The two dams that collapsed have not been maintained since 2002, and they are not large, one of them is only 70 meters." Ashor, a Libyan hydrologist who noted last year that repeated flooding posed a serious threat to Derna, called for immediate measures to maintain the dam.
In the aftermath of the disaster, the government in the west of the country has reached out to Drna, sending a plane carrying 14 tons of supplies, including medicines, body bags, and 87 medical workers. However, Shanib pointed out that Libya's long-standing East-West division has led to huge rifts and grievances between the two sides, which will also have a significant impact on subsequent relief efforts.
Red Star News reporter Li Jinrui
Editor Zhang Li Responsible Editor Guan Li
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