WHO reports thousands of casualties and missing persons in Libya's Derna floods, calls for international support
Shafaq News / The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed on Saturday that the number of casualties and missing individuals in the city of Derna has reached approximately 13,000 people. Meanwhile, Libyan authorities declared a state of health emergency in the affected cities for a full year.
According to reports from Western and Arab media, the organization's statement mentioned that tons of medical supplies had arrived in the Libyan city of Benghazi from Dubai as part of an intensive emergency response to the unprecedented floods in eastern Libya.
WHO stated, "Adequate aid has reached the city to provide assistance to nearly 250,000 people. This aid includes essential medications, trauma treatment supplies, emergency surgeries, medical equipment, as well as body bags for safe and dignified transportation."
WHO further noted that "over 9,000 people in Derna are still considered missing," and its teams, in cooperation with the Libyan Ministry of Health, are working to locate the deceased and missing individuals. So far, 3,958 bodies have been recovered and identified, and death certificates have been issued. This number is expected to increase as search and rescue teams recover more bodies.
Ahmed Zoweten, WHO’s representative in Libya, commented, "This is a catastrophic event of epic proportions. We mourn the tragic loss of thousands of lives, and our thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones, as well as all the affected communities. We are committed to providing the necessary support to restore healthcare services for the affected population in eastern Libya."
The supplies, totaling 130 cubic meters, delivered on Saturday, represent the second round of deliveries by WHO. The first batch consisted of 29 metric tons of urgent medical supplies from the organization's emergency stockpile in Libya.
Last week, Cyclone "Daniel" struck and resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 people, with many still missing.
Meanwhile, Libya's Missing Persons Identification and Search Authority announced the recovery of 450 bodies from the sea over the past two days. They were found approximately 120 meters from the shore.
Additionally, the Libyan National Center for Disease Control declared a state of health emergency in the affected cities for a full year. This decision came after the director of the Disease Control Center in Libya stated that a state of emergency should be declared for one year in all the affected cities due to a shortage of medical staff to treat flood victims.
The spokesperson for the International Red Cross in Libya mentioned that there are disruptions in some roads and phone services, hindering relief efforts. He stressed that the scale of the disaster in the cyclone-affected areas is enormous, surpassing local capabilities, and international support is needed. The final tally of casualties and missing individuals has not been determined yet.
