A bloody conflict over power and influence has been raging in the civil war-torn country of Libya for years. Now the badly hit country was hit by a devastating storm.
Benghazi – After violent storms in Libya, the government fears thousands of deaths in the east of the country. The prime minister of one of the rival governments in the civil war country, Osama Hammad, told the Al-Massar television channel that more than two thousand deaths are to be feared.
Thousands more people in the country with almost seven million inhabitants are missing. There was initially no independent information on fatalities. Storm “Daniel” hit Libya on Sunday.
A civil war broke out in Libya after the fall of long-time ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. Numerous militias are still fighting for influence in the oil-rich state. Two hostile governments, each with one seat in the east and one in the west, are currently fighting for power. All diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully have so far failed. The conflict is being further fueled by foreign states.
A spokesman for the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), Ahmed Al-Mismari, spoke on television of 2,000 deaths in the city of Derna alone. In addition, several thousand people in the port city were considered missing. These numbers could not initially be independently verified. The LNA is subordinate to General Khalifa Haftar, who controls the east of the country.
Local emergency services and hospitals had previously reported around two dozen deaths. In addition to Derna, the cities of Al-Baida, Al-Marj and Susa are also affected. However, rescuers also said that the number of victims would continue to rise.
Heavy rain – urgent help required
The government in the capital Tripoli under Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbaiba spoke of the heaviest rainfall in more than 40 years.
The UN humanitarian coordinator in Libya, Georgette Gagnon, called on the international community to provide rapid assistance. Initial reports indicate that dozens of villages and towns were severely affected by the storm,” Gagnon wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
According to the emergency services, the northeast was particularly affected. According to the local council, the situation in the city of Derna was “out of control”. Two dams are said to have burst there. According to the emergency service, rescue measures were sometimes difficult. They rely on the support of helicopters. Power and internet connection are interrupted. The affected regions were declared “disaster areas”. dpa
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