storm
Libya: Conflicting information about the number of deaths
Buildings in the city of Darna have been destroyed by the flood. photo
© Ricardo Garcia Vilanova/AP/dpa
The situation in the flood areas remains catastrophic. The United Nations is already talking about more than 11,000 deaths in the city of Darna alone. But the source for this is unknown.
A week after the severe floods in There are terrible conditions in the disaster areas in Libya. In the heavily damaged port city of Darna, bodies are still washing up or decomposing under the rubble, reports the Arabic broadcaster Al-Jazeera.
According to the UN Emergency Relief Office (OCHA), around 11,300 people died in Darna alone. Another 10,100 people are still missing, according to a report published on Saturday (local time). This referred to the local Red Crescent Society.
Their spokesman Taufik Schukri was surprised by this. He does not know the source of this information. Official figures are only published by the authorities, he told the German Press Agency.
Germany is supporting with relief supplies
The emergency services and helpers in the civil war country are not only very concerned about the possible spread of diseases such as cholera, but also landmines and unexploded bombs.
Meanwhile, more relief supplies arrived. The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), in cooperation with the communities, has started distributing emergency aid such as baby food, tents, generators, blankets and water in the affected towns of Shahat and Bayda, said the German ambassador to Libya, Michael Ohnmacht the platform X (formerly Twitter).
The reception of people from Darna is also underway. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 35,000 people have lost their accommodation in Darna.
According to the WHO, around 4,000 fatalities have been identified so far. Storm “Daniel” hit the North African country last Sunday. Near the particularly affected city of Darna, two dams burst and entire neighborhoods were washed into the sea.
Until the disaster, around 100,000 people lived in the port city. Libyan prosecutor Al-Sedik al-Sur announced he would bring those responsible for the disaster to justice. An investigation has been launched to find out the causes of the collapse of the dams and to “prosecute the perpetrators”.
Libya is effectively divided into two parts. Prime Minister Osama Hammad sits at the head of the government in the east, where Storm Daniel caused particularly great damage. His government put the number of officially registered deaths at 3,252 as of Saturday evening. Prosecutor al-Sur said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Osama Hammad that the investigation would focus on the funds allocated for the maintenance of the dams. There were reportedly cracks that required maintenance, they said.
The UN emergency relief office expects the death toll to rise further as search and rescue workers were still searching for survivors. There are concerns about possible health impacts for the city’s population. By Saturday, around 150 cases of diarrhea had been reported. The reason is contaminated drinking water, according to the head of the Center for Disease Control, Haidar al-Sajih.
With thousands of displaced people now on the move, the risk of coming into contact with landmines and explosive ordnance left over from years of conflict in the country is also increasing, the UN emergency relief office said. The massive floods, among other things, washed landmines into other areas, it said, citing the International Committee of the Red Cross.