On Saturday, the US State Department highlighted the catastrophic floods that recently engulfed Libya, following the ruinous onslaught of Hurricane Daniel on the nation’s eastern cities. This calamity has not only left a trail of victims and massive destruction in its wake, but has also underscored the proliferating threats that necessitate immediate and impactful humanitarian aid worldwide.
In a statement, the US State Department remarked that Libya’s floods are “merely a single example amidst numerous disasters that currently jeopardize us at a time where, globally, the number of individuals requiring vital humanitarian assistance continues to rise.”
The United States has renewed its commitment to aiding the world’s most vulnerable populations. A reminder was made of the contribution by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which recently donated $20 million to the United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This donation stands out as the largest of its kind, offered to the central fund.
The shocking events in Libya underscore an urgent call for international solidarity and strategic partnerships to mitigate the impacts of such crises. The torrential rains and wind from Hurricane Daniel have not only resulted in significant infrastructural damage, but have also rendered thousands of individuals as victims, highlighting the vital need for global unity in addressing and managing future humanitarian crises with efficacy and empathy.
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.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called a flood that killed thousands in Derna, Libya a “symbol of the world’s ills.”
“Even as we speak now, bodies are washing ashore from the same Mediterranean sea where billionaires sunbathe on their super yachts,” Guterres said in the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
“Derna is a sad snapshot of the state of our world – the flood of inequity, of injustice, of inability to confront the challenges in our midst,” he added.
