More than 3 thousand people have died in Libya due to flooding

At least 3,000 people have died as a result of flooding caused by Hurricane Daniel, which hit eastern Libya.

Source. This was reported by Al-Jazeera.

The coastal city of Derna suffered the most, where a dam burst. At least three Red Crescent volunteers were killed in the disaster area.

"The erosion of dams in Derna has been known for a long time. It has been reported repeatedly, including in scientific journals, from 2011 onwards. Not a single official paid attention to it. It's not just a natural disaster, it's a catastrophe, and it's also the result of a disregard for the city," said Hani Shennib, president of the National Council for U.S.-Libyan Relations, who also said that a 4-kilometer section of the city center was completely destroyed.

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According to Shennib, the Libyan authorities have neglected the development of Derna for many years, for example, there is not a single functioning hospital in this city of 100,000 people. The political split that exists between the western and eastern parts of Libya also has a negative impact on the humanitarian situation in the east of the country, including the availability of emergency assistance.

In Derna, entire neighborhoods were washed away. More than 700 bodies have gathered in a cemetery waiting to be identified, and local health officials said thousands of people are missing.

Reuters reports that the bodies of more than 1,000 people have been found in Derna alone, and another 10,000 people are still missing.

Hikem Abu Shkiwat, the Minister of Civil Aviation in the unrecognized government of eastern Libya, said the situation in Derna is catastrophic. "Bodies are everywhere – in the sea, in the valleys, under houses," Shkiwat told Reuters by phone after visiting the city. "I am not exaggerating when I say that 25% of the city is gone. Many, many houses have collapsed."

Benghazi, the country's second most populous city (1.2 million people), was also among the cities hit by the storm.

Tamer Ramadan, a representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Libya, called the death toll huge at a briefing in Geneva. The fight against the flood, he said, "goes beyond the capabilities of the government, society and people," and international assistance will be needed to cope with its consequences.

Seven members of the Libyan army disappeared during the rescue operations.

Authorities in eastern Libya have imposed a curfew, and schools and shops are closed.

Libya has been divided between two warring administrations since the uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Neither the recognized nor the unrecognized governments have invested in maintaining and repairing infrastructure, which explains the catastrophic consequences of the flood.