On Tuesday, the Libyan Parliament-designated Prime Minister, and Chairman of the High Committee for Emergency Response, Osama Hammad convened a meeting with committee members and ministers in the city of Derna.
During his address, the Prime Minister expressed the government’s firm opposition to exploiting the current crisis, for political gains. He urged all national entities and sovereign institutions to shoulder their responsibilities towards the reconstruction of Derna.
Hammad and committee members also discussed a range of issues related to the crisis. They discussed the most suitable methods and means through which the emergency committee, in coordination with state executive bodies, would support the afflicted in Derna and the devastated areas of Green Mountain, aiming to alleviate their suffering.
The cabinet meeting saw the performance evaluation of various ministries during this period in Derna and the Green Mountains. It also highlighted the efforts made to restore conditions to their previous state, especially at the service ministry level.
The attendees reviewed the preparations for organising the Derna Reconstruction Conference, scheduled for 10 October. This event is expected to witness significant local and international attendance.
Control over Derna remains outside the control of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), with the city and much of eastern Libya under the authority of the eastern forces.
During the height of storm Daniel, the Bou Mansour Dam, boasting a storage capability of 22.5 million cubic meters, and situated 13 kilometers away from Derna, ruptured. This breach consequently overwhelmed the adjacent dam, located a mere kilometer from the coastal city, with a storage threshold of 1.5 million cubic meters.
Post-storm analyses by the Libyan Audit Bureau criticized the Ministry of Water Resources for overlooking the upkeep of the Derna dam. The report spotlighted an unsettled invoice of €2.286 million euros for maintenance services by the Turkish firm, Bressel, in 2020.
On 10 September, a devastating storm swept through several eastern regions of Libya, notably the cities of Derna, Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Al-Marj, and Sousse. This resulted in significant destruction and led to the loss of thousands of lives, injuries, and missing individuals.
Notably, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), revealed that the recent floods in northeastern Libya, have forced an estimated 43,059 individuals to flee their homes.