Hurricane Daniel hit eastern Libya on September 10, hardest hit Derna, with a population of 50,000, leaving thousands missing. After the flood, the reporters of the China Central Radio and Television Station overcame difficulties and obstacles to advance to the core area. Roads and bridges washed away by floods, core disaster areas that smell of corruption and debris, are full of danger and hardship. What is the story behind this trip? Come and hear what he has to say.
Desert areas become "water towns and ze countries"
Located about 300 kilometers from Benghazi, Derna was the hardest hit by the floods in Libya. Long before he left, he had heard the victims of Derna's escape describe the situation there. Since the floodwaters have not completely receded, and there is always a risk of plague outbreaks, we also need to make thorough preparations before this trip.
Since many roads along the way have been washed away by flooding and have not been repaired, we need to take a detour. Before dawn at 5 a.m., we set off from Benghazi, near Derna, and it was close to noon. Along the way, we saw the debris of the flood washed away, and in some places the flood water has not completely receded. Under the reflection of the rising sun, there is a feeling of coming to the water town Zeguo. This is extremely rare in Libya, which is dominated by desert and has a dry climate.
△ Zhu Yunxiang, a reporter from the main station, went deep into the core disaster area of Derna to conduct an interview
Although I had prepared in advance, I was a little surprised by what I saw when I entered the city center. The coastal road has been washed through a gap, and the coastal breakwater, which should have been connected, has been washed out of shape. The most shocking thing is the scene on both sides of the Derna Valley, the river that runs through the entire city of Derna, which was originally only 20 meters wide, and there was not even much water flowing before the disaster, but it turned into a fierce beast during the flood, destroying everything on both sides of the river and completely tearing the entire Derna apart.
△ The building steel left behind after the flood washed away the houses on both sides of the Drna Valley
On both sides of the Derna Valley, at intervals, clusters of steel bars jutting out of the ground can be seen. Locals tell us that this means that a house existed here before the flood, which was completely razed when the flood hit. And these steel bars that support the building have become the only thing left of these houses.
Above the rubble, excavations continue, but it is unclear to all of them how many remains are buried under the rubble. They may still be buried under the rubble, or some may have been swept into the sea by floodwaters. Due to the limited rescue force at the scene, people had to find their own excavation tools to dig the ruins of their houses to find the remains of their loved ones who may be buried under the rubble.
Local volunteers: Eat "bibimbap" to sleep in the material warehouse
In Derna, I was also impressed by the steady stream of local Libyan volunteers who came from all over the world after the disaster. Here, they are responsible for distributing drinking water, food, bedding, etc. donated from various places to local disaster victims.
△Young Libyan volunteers sorting out disaster relief materials
We came to the volunteer center for interviews. When the volunteers saw that we were still hungry, they enthusiastically left us to eat. Just put the rice in my mouth, this mouthful of raw rice mixed with sand is really difficult to swallow. Because of the feelings, we still shoehorned a few mouthfuls. In hindsight, we learned that the volunteers had to do almost everything here, including cooking for themselves. In Derna, where water and electricity are cut off, there is not enough water for them to wash rice and vegetables, nor do they have suitable cooking utensils to light fires for cooking. Most of these volunteers are teenagers. In Arab families where their mothers run three meals a day, these sandwiches may be the first meal they make in their lives. They work in the morning and lie down in the evening in the local disaster relief warehouse in Derna. Without fans and air conditioning, mosquito bites are inevitable at night. But even with the difficult conditions, they did not complain.
It was sunset after the interview in Derna, and the enthusiastic volunteers saw us walking back and stuffed us with some drinking water and biscuits to take with us on the way. The setting sun shone on the volunteers' somewhat tanned faces, which seemed a little soft.
△ Zhu Yunxiang, a reporter from the main station, went deep into the core disaster area of Derna to conduct an interview
Libyans in the aftermath of the disaster: sad but strong
In the days that followed, we travelled around the country to interview hospitals treating the victims of the flood and to the families of many flood survivors. At a home in Benghazi, we interviewed Tesir, a Delna disaster sufferer who had come to join relatives. Eight of his family's 11 lost their lives in the floods. His dad was swept away by the flood before his eyes. Speaking of sadness, Tessir choked up several times. A family that once lived happily can now only be recalled through photos kept on their mobile phones. But he couldn't grieve for long. He is not yet an adult, and now he is the only male in the family, and he has to bear the burden of the family and live strongly. Fortunately, with relatives assisting and taking care of them, the road ahead is not too difficult.
And that's what many Libyans are experiencing in the aftermath of the disaster. There is a concept of large families in Libya, with many families of each family living apart throughout Libya, including the core areas affected by the disaster. So while Benghazi did not have much impact during the floods, many local residents also lost their relatives in the aftermath of the disaster. Locally, whenever a loved one dies, they are accustomed to setting up a tent on the side of the road outside the house to receive relatives and friends from all over the world to come to mourn. In the days following the floods, the streets of Benghazi were filled with such tents.
With war, poverty and this flood, Libyans seem to have learned to pick themselves up quickly in the midst of countless hardships. In a simple memorial ceremony, they hugged and comforted each other, leaving their thoughts and memories to their deceased families, and their strong faith and life to those who will not die and who will survive the disaster.
Reporter 丨 Zhu Yunxiang
Source: CCTV News Client