The Rise in Derna's Death Toll: A Flawed Response to the Floods in Libya

A month ago, devastating floods in eastern Libya resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. BBC Arabic has now uncovered evidence that mismanagement by local authorities contributed to many of these deaths. There are three main accusations against the authorities. Firstly, residents of the hardest-hit town of Derna claim they were told to stay at home instead of being evacuated, despite the knowledge that the storm was coming. Secondly, local and regional authorities are accused of failing to address the danger posed by the dams on the Derna riverbed, which ultimately burst and caused catastrophic flooding. Lastly, the authorities are accused of obstructing the aid effort in the days following the tragedy. Anger in Derna escalated into protests, resulting in the burning down of the mayor's home. The final death toll is unknown, but at least 4,000 people have been confirmed dead and another 10,000 reported missing. The country has been divided since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with one authority in Tripoli and another in eastern Libya. Prior to the arrival of Storm Daniel, emergency meetings were held and instructions for evacuation were issued. However, residents claim that the evacuation efforts were insufficient and many were moved to more dangerous areas that were later flooded. The dams in Derna were not prepared to withstand such a storm and their collapse caused the devastating flooding. The authorities failed to warn people about this risk. The emergency response by the Derna authorities was also heavily criticized. Aid convoys were stopped and denied access to the city due to tight security measures implemented after the disaster. As a result, residents were left without food, clean water, and medical supplies. The lack of communication in the city hindered rescue and aid work, and journalists were forced to leave. The east Libyan authorities have not responded to the allegations.