Libya Floods: Over 11,000 People Killed

On September 11th last month, Storm Daniel dumped torrential rains on Libya. The nearly sixteen inches of rain caused two dams to burst open, causing catastrophic flooding in the nearby town Derna, sweeping thousands into the sea. 

The dams held back twenty-four million cubic meters of water, and since each cubic meter of water weighs around one ton. This means a total of  twenty-four million tons of flood water crashed through the town of Derna, leaving devastation in its wake. 

In a town of ninety thousand, the death toll has risen to eleven thousand three hundred, with more than 10,000 people reported missing and over thirty thousand Libyans displaced. Survivors are left searching for missing children, parents, siblings, and other family members that have been taken by the flood. They often have to search for bodies in massive piles of mud and debris, flipped cars, and collapsed slabs of concrete, devastation left behind by the flood.  

Organizations from all over the world have sent aid, but it is difficult for rescuers as many areas have been destroyed, are underwater, or roads and bridges have been washed away. Meanwhile there is the concern that another crisis will break out as disease is a large concern due to a lack of clean and uncontaminated water.

Many experts link the extreme weather of Storm Daniel to global warming. The bursting of the dams, on the other hand, have been linked to mismanagement of government officials. 

Anger has risen in Derna against the government for multiple reasons: poor evacuation efforts at the time before the flooding, not addressing the dangers of the dams, and the hampering of aid after the flood. Protests began on September 18 as Libyans gathered at the al-Shabana mosque to call on “authorities to expedite their investigation into the disaster, for the U.N to set up an office in Derna, for urgent reconstruction of the city and for compensation for those affected by the flood.” 

Evacuation efforts made before the dams broke were insufficient, confusing, and ultimately failed to protect residents of Derna. Authorities gave orders for the general public to stay indoors in the two days before the flood, initiating curfews to keep people indoors. The people that were told to evacuate did not know where to go as clear instructions were not given.

Libya has been divided between rival governments for most of the past decade, one in the east, based in Tobruk, the other in capital Tripoli. Both governments are backed by international groups and militias, whose influence in the country has expanded ever since a NATO-backed Arab Spring uprising toppled autocratic ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. 

The two dams that burst were built in the 1970s and since then have lacked necessary maintenance. Dr Abdulwanis Ashour is a hydrologist and lecturer at the Omar Al-Mukhtar University and had previously conducted studies on the dams. He had published his studies a full year before this catastrophe, and his research detailed the discoveries of cracks in the dams, the risk of collapsing, and how Derna was placed in a dangerous position due to the misuse of these dams. The government was aware of this situation as others had also warned about the dams and their danger. 

Despite the anger at the government’s actions before and during the first few days after the floods, the catastrophe has provided Libya a brief sense of unity as the rival governments rush to deploy humanitarian teams to the city and other affected areas. Unfortunately, their aid has been hampered due to poor coordination and destruction of Derna’s infrastructures such as bridges and roads, which has made it difficult for aid to reach hard-hit areas. 

“In a fractured nation, reconstruction and the coordination required could fuel another tussle for power, analysts say.” Residents have been mainly left on their own to try and find family members in the wreckage and to rebuild their homes and businesses. 

A week after the flood, bodies were continuing to wash up on the shores. Rescue teams worked to recover the bodies and identify them. Divers combed the sea off the coast of Derna, searching for bodies trapped in collapsed, underwater buildings. Derna has been burying its dead, mainly in mass graves outside the city and other neighboring towns. The future looks unstable for Libya as the people try to recover from this devastating event and as unrest continues to escalate.

Sources:

Mahmoud, By Abdirahim Saeed Nader Ibrahim and Yassmin. “Libya Floods: The Flawed Response That Increased Derna Death Toll.” BBC News, 10 Oct. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66961312. 

“Libya Flood: ‘There’s a Smell of Decay and Death in the Air.’” BBC News, 16 Sept. 2001, www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-66830535. 

“Climate Change May Be Factor in Libya Floods, Expert Says | AP News.” AP News, 15 Sept. 2023, https://apnews.com/video/floods-storms-libya-weather-bill-hare-7af9420f7da34db0a14a9144249e8584. 

Gamboa, Glenn. “Morocco Earthquake: How to Help Those Affected  | AP News.” AP News, 13 Sept. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/morocco-earthquake-how-to-help-donations-fc2f9c27b4a7bdc2d10135fb81b20ad2. 

Marud, Yousef, and Jack Jeffery. “UN Warns Disease Outbreak in Libya’s Flooded East Could Spark ‘a Second Devastating Crisis’ | AP News.” AP News, 19 Sept. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/unesco-derna-libya-floods-cyrene-disease-178912248ea2e6b0100c962214408ca5. 

Associated Press. “Libya Floods Death Toll Soars to 11,300 in Derna as Search Efforts Continue | AP News.” AP News, 15 Sept. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/libya-floods-derna-storm-daniel-mass-graves-21b1a195d261a642e12dac13f0d19431. 

Al-Warfali, Ayman. “In Libya’s Devastated Derna, Families Still Search for the Missing.” Reuters, 3 Oct. 2023, www.reuters.com/world/africa/libyas-devastated-derna-families-still-search-missing-2023-10-03.   

Images:

Mahmoud, By Abdirahim Saeed Nader Ibrahim and Yassmin. “Libya Floods: The Flawed Response That Increased Derna Death Toll.” BBC News, 10 Oct. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66961312. 

Associated Press. “Libya Floods Death Toll Soars to 11,300 in Derna as Search Efforts Continue | AP News.” AP News, 15 Sept. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/libya-floods-derna-storm-daniel-mass-graves-21b1a195d261a642e12dac13f0d19431. 

Gamboa, Glenn. “Morocco Earthquake: How to Help Those Affected  | AP News.” AP News, 13 Sept. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/morocco-earthquake-how-to-help-donations-fc2f9c27b4a7bdc2d10135fb81b20ad2.