On Monday, the Libyan Parliament-designated government declared the city of Derna a disaster-stricken area. This is following Storm Dainel, which struck the eastern part of the country, and caused extensive damage to public and private property.
The Derna Security Directorate announced a curfew in the city from 7 PM on Sunday to 8 AM on Monday, as part of the response to the aftermath.
According to Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath, the number of flood victims in Derna alone rose to 150 on Monday.
In response to the situation, the High Emergency Committee has declared a state of alert to provide relief to those affected.
Libyan authorities have confirmed that heavy rainfall has caused significant and severe damage to infrastructure and properties, while the search for missing individuals continues.
Several cities in eastern and western Libya have been hit by floods, resulting in the inundation of houses, hospitals, and damage to vehicles. As well as the destruction of roads due to the overflowing of rivers.
The Libyan Red Crescent reported the death of one of its members, others missing, and the loss of two vehicles while attempting to rescue stranded families. The situation in some eastern Libyan cities has reached a critical point due to the floods.
It is expected that the death toll will rise in the coming hours, as the search for missing individuals continues, compounded by the difficulty of accessing some affected areas.
Notably, the most affected cities so far are Derna, Shahhat, and Al-Bayda in eastern Libya.
Local authorities have announced that the situation “is out of control, even in areas not expected to be affected.” They have highlighted the evacuation of families to hotels and care centers, while the number of people still trapped inside their homes remains unknown.
Video footage circulating on social media shows citizens pleading for help, and screaming as water engulfs their homes. Other videos capture torrents sweeping away cars on streets, which have turned into rivers.
Additional footage shows rescue teams from the Libyan army and the Red Crescent attempting to evacuate people.
Notably, the National Safety Authority in Eastern Libya has established an emergency response room, raising the state of readiness to 100%, in anticipation of the oncoming storm, Daniel.
According to the Authority’s statement, this move followed a meeting chaired by the Director of the Authority’s Eastern branch, General Tareq Sheihoub. It was agreed to “mobilize all necessary resources and equipment, ensuring full readiness of all vehicles under the emergency and crisis department of the branch.”