Aid supplies from many countries are currently arriving in Libya. But apparently there is a problem with distribution. The German ambassador on site therefore now called for additional commitment: Among other things, there was a lack of a functioning administration.
The situation in Libya remains critical a week and a half after the flood disaster with thousands of deaths. A current challenge is the distribution of relief supplies in the country. The German ambassador to Libya, Michael Ohnmacht, warned of this. “The huge amount of aid that is arriving in Benghazi or Labrak must also be distributed locally,” Ohnmacht told the dpa news agency. “There is no longer a functioning administration in Darna, also for the sad reason that among the many local victims there are many administration employees.”
According to Ohnmacht, Benghazi has a well-equipped, functioning hub for handling incoming international goods. “Overloading and loading into trucks works pretty well,” said the ambassador. As with other disasters of comparable magnitude, there is a “usual funnel effect” in which incoming relief supplies only “run off” slowly.
The USA is now also delivering aid supplies Disaster areas
Countless countries, including Egypt, Algeria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, have already sent humanitarian aid to Libya. Rescuers and relief supplies or financial aid also arrived in the North African country from Russia and the European Union. For example, mattresses, tents, blankets, camp beds, generators and baby food arrived from Germany. On Wednesday, the federal government confirmed its willingness to provide further support.
The USA has also intensified its commitment: At the beginning of the week, the United States had already announced further aid worth eleven million dollars (around ten million euros). The USA is now also providing relief supplies for the victims of the flood disaster. These include emergency shelters, blankets, hygiene products, plastic sheeting and water containers, as the US Embassy announced on the online platform X (formerly Twitter). The relief supplies from a US warehouse in Dubai have arrived in the port city of Benghazi and are to be distributed to people in need by the UN Organization for Migration (IOM) and other aid organizations.
Powerlessness: “Infrastructure and Civil protection fell short”
Another problem is the poor infrastructure: a civil war broke out in Libya after the fall and death of long-time ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. In the divided country, countless militias are fighting for influence and resources, and two weak, hostile governments in the east and west of the country are also fighting for power. Investments in roads, bridges or electricity plants, for example, were delayed for years.
“It is a country that used to have a functioning infrastructure,” said Ohnmacht. “The political division of the country and numerous conflicts of the past twelve years obviously have an impact.” As a result, “infrastructure and civil protection have also been neglected, like so many urgent needs of the Libyan population.”
UN: More than 43,000 displaced people
Storm “Daniel” hit Libya in North Africa on September 10th. Following the floods, the worst affected area in Darna in the east was declared uninhabitable. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 4,000 fatalities have been identified so far. However, some rescuers fear that they will discover thousands more bodies under rubble in the mud.
Tens of thousands of people have lost their homes due to the floods. Recent estimates suggest over 43,000 people have been displaced, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a report. In Darna in particular, the lack of water caused many people to leave the city, it was said.