Catastrophic Floods in Eastern Libya Claim 5,500 Lives, Thousands More Affected

The death toll from devastating floods that struck eastern Libya has risen to 5,500, with another 7,000 injured, a local official said.

Osama Ali, the spokesman for the Tripoli-based emergency services, said on Wednesday that no final death toll could be determined yet because bodies are still being recovered from the affected areas.

He added that about 10,000 people have been reported missing and that 30,000 people have been displaced by the floods, adding the flood-hit regions face a severe shortage of basic supplies, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Sunday, a Mediterranean storm made landfall in eastern Libya, triggering floods and causing extensive damage to infrastructure along its path.

Speaking to a local TV channel on Monday, Osama Hammad, the eastern-based Prime Minister of Libya, confirmed the toll in "catastrophic" floods that hit eastern Libya on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Hammad said most of the casualties were reported in the port city of Derna, where "the entire neighborhoods were swept away".


He called on medical personnel and rescue teams nationwide to provide assistance to the city, while the eastern-based Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Gatrani has appealed for international aid .

Local authorities have declared three days of mourning for the victims.

The storm made landfall in eastern Libya on Sunday, triggering flooding and destroying facilities along its path.


Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah, the prime minister of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, on Sunday instructed relevant authorities to remain on high alert and take measures to deal with the storm, vowing to "protect the people and ease the damage".

President of the Libyan Presidency Council, Mohamed Menfi, also called for international assistance to cope with the aftermath of the deadly floods.

"We call on the brotherly and friendly countries and the international organisations to provide assistance and support for the disaster areas," Menfi said in a statement on Monday.


He declared Derna, Al-Bayda and Shahhat as stricken cities, and called on the people to abide by the instructions of the authorities "to overcome this crisis".

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Libyan Red Crescent Society have started to offer urgent assistance to those affected by the disaster.

Libya, a country of six million people, has been dividedbetween rival administrations in the east and west since 2014, following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against late dictator Muammar Gaddafi.


Each administration is backed by armed groups and militias.

Meanwhile, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Libya, Georgette Gagnon, has designated an emergency team to support local authorities and partners following storm Daniel, UN humanitarians said.

A 12-person UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team has been deployed in Libya to support the world body's response to the massive flooding that has killed thousands of people with thousands more missing, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday, noting that the UN is responding to calls for assistance and providing aid in the affected areas.


UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at the beginning of a press conference on Wednesday preceding next week's annual high-level General Assembly session, again expressed his deepest condolences and full solidarity with all those affected by the flooding in Libya and the deadly earthquake in Morocco, Xinhua news agency reported.

"These heart-wrenching disasters have claimed thousands of lives and affected countless families and communities," he said.

"The United Nations is mobilising to support relief efforts and we will work in any and every way we can with partners to help get emergency assistance to those who so desperately need it."


The UN humanitarians said search-and-rescue operations continue in Libya, led by national agencies, the military, the Libyan Red Crescent and local volunteers.

"The lack of accurate and reliable data across affected regions presents a significant challenge; access challenges and conflicting reports from multiple sources further add to the difficulties in coordinating and effectively deploying humanitarian assistance," OCHA reported earlier on Wednesday in its Flash Update No. 1 report.

According to the report, significant displacement is being observed across affected regions, most notably in Derna, where available data indicates that at least 30,000 individuals were displaced. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, especially in Derna, where accessibility remains a critical challenge due to damaged infrastructure.

The report said critical infrastructure, including healthcare, electricity, buildings, roads and telecommunications, were significantly damaged. However, there is progress in restoring electricity and communications to the affected areas.

"Many international partners indicated their interest to provide emergency response assistance," OCHA added.

"The United Nations in Libya is preparing a flash appeal to garner and coordinate international support in response to Libyans' request for humanitarian assistance."

Undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths, the UN emergency relief coordinator, announced on Tuesday an initial allocation of $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support people affected by the flooding. - IANS