Survivors in Libya pick through the rubble and devastation as floodwaters recede
- Floods devastated Derna, a port city in eastern Libya, after a storm overwhelmed two of the city's dams.
- First responders continue to find bodies a week into the disaster but are having trouble identifying them.
After a storm in the eastern city of Derna, Libya, caused flooding that overwhelmed two of the city's dams on September 11, 2023, the process of restoring the city and recovering bodies began as floodwaters receded.
The flooding caused by the breaks in the dams resulted in the death and displacement of thousands, and there are still an estimated 10,000 people missing.
The storm, being referred to as a medicane — a shorter term for Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone — hit Derna so hard that two inland dams collapsed, releasing a deluge of water upon Derna.
As the waters recede, aid agencies are beginning to recover bodies. However, because many bodies have been floating in water or were carried out to sea, they are harder to identify.
At the same time, many of the people of Derna have been displaced. Libyan protestors torched the home of the mayor of Derna, blaming the government for its inability to protect the city from the faulty infrastructure that caused the flood. As a result, the administration governing eastern Libya has suspended the mayor and fired the entire city council.
Tropical storm Daniel destroyed two dams along the coast of Derna, causing flooding that has resulted in the estimated deaths of 11,000 people, with thousands still missing.
The flood effectively bisected the city of Derna, flipping cars, destroying buildings, and killing thousands in its wake.
Aerial shots of Derna show the devastating impact of the floods, erasing roads and burying cars, making it harder to evacuate the city.
Since the floods happened, international first responders have been aiding in the rescue and recovery.
International rescue teams are calling for more aid in the efforts to retrieve the bodies of the victims.
Divers have begun looking for bodies in the sea, where it is believed many of the bodies were washed away after the tsunami-sized wall of water descended upon Derna.
Because some bodies have been in the sea for a week or more, identifying them has become a challenge for rescue teams, according to BBC.
Bodies are still washing ashore a week later, and the time spent in saltwater has left many of them unrecognizable.
As rescuers scan the bodies for identifying marks, they also swab the bodies for DNA samples in the event that there are living family members to claim the bodies.
While rescuers search for the dead, the living are dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
Some volunteers helped by digging mass graves for the bodies that are still being found around the city or in the sea. As the dead are buried, people offer prayers for the hundreds of buried citizens of Derna.
Survivors have begun protests against a government they believe was negligent in repairing infrastructure and implementing flood warnings.
Officials have admitted that a contract to repair the dams in 2007 was never completed due to "insecurity in the region."
The government overseeing eastern Libya has suspended Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaith and all members of the Derna city council have been dismissed.
Later the same day, protesters torched the house of Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi.
Residents say that the disaster could have been prevented. The New York Times reported that for years, the dams protecting Derna from floodwaters "were in danger of giving way."
As protests continue, the UN is worried about another potential crisis in Libya: disease.
On September 19, the UN warned that the floods could result in a "second devastating crisis" as a result of contaminated water in Derna.
There are currently nine UN agencies working in Derna right now to prevent the outbreak of disease and infections from contaminated water.
So far, 150 people — 55 of whom are children — have fallen ill after drinking contaminated water.
A vaccination program targeted against "diseases that usually occur after disasters" is currently underway, Othman Abduljaleel, the health minister of Libya's eastern government, said on September 17.
On September 18, the Biden administration released a statement that the US government is providing $11 million in aid to local and international organizations working in Libya.
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