Libya’s floods, which killed thousands in the city of Derna, furthermore removed more than 43,000 people, the Worldwide Relationship for Development said Thursday.
A tsunami-sized flash flood broke through two ageing river dams upstream from the city after heavy rains lashed the area on September 10. It razed entire neighborhood, sweeping untold thousands into the Mediterranean Sea.
The official death toll stands at more than 3,300 – but the eventual count is expected to be far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people missing.
“An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by the floods in northeastern Libya,” the IOM said, adding that a “lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna” to other areas
“Urgent needs include food, drinking water and mental health and psychosocial support,” it said.
Mobile and internet services were restored Thursday after a two-day disruption, following protests Monday that saw angry residents blame the authorities for the high death toll.
The national telecom company said communications were down as a result of “a rupture in the optical fibre” link to Derna, but some internet users and analysts charged there had been a deliberate “blackout”.
Local authorities, help organizations and the World Wellbeing Association “are worried about the gamble of infection flare-up, especially from polluted water and the absence of sterilization”, the UN said.
Libya’s infectious prevention Place cautioned that mains water in the catastrophe zone is contaminated and approached occupants not to utilize it.
