One week after a deluge of rain wreaked havoc in eastern Libya, resulting in the collapse of two dams, survivors are grappling with fresh challenges.
The United Nations reported on Monday that local authorities, humanitarian organizations, and the World Health Organization are deeply concerned about the potential outbreak of diseases, particularly due to contaminated water sources and a lack of sanitation in the affected areas.
The Health Minister of the eastern administration in the divided country announced the commencement of a vaccination campaign in the flood-ravaged city of Derna on Sunday, September 17th. According to Othman Abdeljalil, the goal of the vaccination effort is twofold: to safeguard the health of those working on the ground and to minimize the risk of infection. He also assured citizens that the Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation and will ensure an organized vaccination process. Priority will be given to rescue workers, healthcare professionals, and children.
Traumatized residents are in desperate need of clean water, food, and essential supplies, as there is a growing threat of diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dehydration, and malnutrition, as warned by the United Nations.
Emergency response teams and aid have been dispatched from several countries, including France, Greece, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, to assist in relief efforts.
Search and rescue operations continue, but the task is challenging due to the significant number of casualties and the overwhelming workload. Mohannad Edris al-Oukili, director of the ambulance and emergency service, stated that it was impossible to accurately count the number of missing individuals amid the chaos. The Egyptian community in the area has estimated that approximately 5,000 people are unaccounted for.
Conflicting reports regarding the death toll in the aftermath of the floods have emerged. The Health Minister of the eastern administration confirmed that 3,338 people lost their lives in Derna as of late Monday, September 18th.
On the same day, the government based in Tripoli announced plans to construct a temporary bridge across the wadi that traverses Derna, aiming to facilitate recovery and reconstruction.
The catastrophic flooding resulted from the rupture of two upstream river dams in Derna, unleashing a late-night tidal wave that inundated the city of 100,000 residents, sweeping entire residential areas into the Mediterranean Sea.
In response to the crisis, the United Nations has launched an urgent aid appeal, seeking more than $71 million to support relief efforts.