Egyptian rescuers search Derna in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Libyan city. Reuters
Egyptian rescuers search Derna in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Libyan city. Reuters
Egyptian rescuers search Derna in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Libyan city. Reuters
Egyptian rescuers search Derna in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Libyan city. Reuters

UN envoy to Libya calls for inclusive national reconstruction plan


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

The UN has called for a "comprehensive national plan" for the reconstruction of areas affected by flash floods in Libya.

Political instability, a decade of civil war, crumbling infrastructure and weak emergency systems all played a role in the tragedy that unfolded in the eastern region of the country in early September.

Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN envoy to the country, has met Libyan officials to discuss efforts to overcome the crisis caused by Storm Daniel.

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who leads the Libyan National Army, met Mr Bathily and discussed continuing relief efforts in Derna and neighbouring areas.

"We discussed perspectives on the reconstruction of the devastated areas. I underlined the need for co-ordinated national action to overcome the crisis, including a transparent and inclusive national plan for reconstruction," Mr Bathily said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A tsunami-sized flash flood broke through two dams upstream from Derna after a hurricane-strength storm lashed the area on September 10, sweeping thousands of people into the sea.

"I reiterated my call for all stakeholders to build on the extraordinary solidarity and unity Libyans have shown in these difficult times," he said.

All must "step up efforts towards holding elections and unifying national institutions to better address future challenges", he said.

On Monday, Libya's General Prosecutor Al Siddiq Al Sour said he issued an order to detain eight people pending an investigation into the collapse of the dams.

Prosecutors questioned seven former and current officials with the water resources authority and dams management authority over allegations that mismanagement and negligence contributed to the disaster, Mr Al Sour's office said in a statement.

Former Derna mayor Abdelmenam Al Ghaithi, who was sacked after the disaster, was also questioned, the office said.

Protesters have called for officials to be held accountable for the disaster and earlier set fire to Mr Al Ghaithi's home.

A Yugoslavian construction company built the dams in the 1970s, above Wadi Derna, a river valley that runs through the city.

The area has become known as "the valley of death".

The dams went decades without being maintained, despite warnings by experts that the structures may burst. Local authorities also received complaints from the public about leaks.

A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 found the dams had not been maintained despite more than $2 million being allocated for the work in 2012 and 2013.

A Turkish company was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance work on the dams and to build a third between them. Arsel Construction Company said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012.

It did not respond to an email seeking further comment.

There is still no widely accepted death toll for the floods that flattened Derna and nearby coastal towns.

  • A tilted car sits above debris in Libya's eastern city of Derna. AFP
    A tilted car sits above debris in Libya's eastern city of Derna. AFP
  • A damaged building, days after Storm Daniel swept across eastern Libya. EPA
    A damaged building, days after Storm Daniel swept across eastern Libya. EPA
  • Rescue teams walk in Derna. AFP
    Rescue teams walk in Derna. AFP
  • Rescuers and relatives of victims set up tents in front of collapsed buildings. AP
    Rescuers and relatives of victims set up tents in front of collapsed buildings. AP
  • Abdulkarim Ben Ali uses crutches as he walks on the roof of his sister's damaged house. Reuters
    Abdulkarim Ben Ali uses crutches as he walks on the roof of his sister's damaged house. Reuters
  • A Palestinian civil defence team. AFP
    A Palestinian civil defence team. AFP
  • Rescue teams. AFP
    Rescue teams. AFP
  • Youssef, 18, a survivor of the flooding, lies on a bed at the Benghazi Medical Centre hospital. AFP
    Youssef, 18, a survivor of the flooding, lies on a bed at the Benghazi Medical Centre hospital. AFP
  • People gather for a demonstration outside the surviving Al Sahaba mosque. AFP
    People gather for a demonstration outside the surviving Al Sahaba mosque. AFP
  • People who survived the deadly storm outside the Al Sahaba mosque. Reuters
    People who survived the deadly storm outside the Al Sahaba mosque. Reuters
  • Demonstrators take part in protest against the government. Reuters
    Demonstrators take part in protest against the government. Reuters
  • Ruins at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene in eastern Libya, about 60km west of Derna. AFP
    Ruins at the site of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Cyrene in eastern Libya, about 60km west of Derna. AFP

The latest official death toll released on Friday evening stood at 3,753 but the eventual count is expected to be far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people missing.

Authorities in the eastern region of the divided country said last Friday that Derna would host an international conference next month to aid reconstruction efforts.

Bodies are still being found in large numbers, under the debris or on beaches.

Libya has been wracked by division and on-off conflict since an uprising that toppled and killed former leader Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.

An August 2020 ceasefire between forces allied to the country's rival governments largely holds.

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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Abu Dhabi GP starting grid

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Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
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Call DHA on 800342

Once you are registered, you will receive a confirmation text message

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MEFCC information

Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.

Updated: September 25, 2023, 11:36 AM