Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Information Minister in Pakistani-administered Kashmir: Five civilians killed and at least 29 others injured in shelling across the border with India
Israeli Army Radio's diplomatic correspondent quoted a senior Israeli official as saying: So he [Trump] decided to cut off contact. That might still change, but that’s the situation right now
Israeli Army Radio's diplomatic correspondent quoted a senior Israeli official as saying: Trump’s circle told him [Dermer] that Netanyahu was manipulating him, and there’s nothing Trump hates more than being portrayed as someone being played
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: Meetings between the Israelis, Egyptians, and Qataris are all centered around the Israeli proposal, which does not guarantee an end to the war [on Gaza]
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: “Israel” is threatening to expand the ground offensive if Hamas rejects the proposal
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: Hamas rejects the Israeli proposal, viewing it as failing to guarantee an end to the war
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: “Israel” is sticking to its proposal, and insists there is no alternative offer on the table for negotiation
Senior Palestinian official to Al Mayadeen: The meetings between the Israelis and the Egyptians and Qataris all revolve around the Israeli proposal
The administration was clearly looking for an off-ramp for this campaign against Ansar Allah, NBC News reports, citing US official
Trump's operation against Ansar Allah cost more than $1 billion, NBC News reports, citing US official

Derna locked down: Libya's response to devastating floods

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 16 Sep 2023 08:54
3 Min Read

Following an increase in the Libyan Red Crescent's estimate of casualties, authorities have decided to restrict access to the affected town.

  • x
  • Overturned cars lay among other debris caused by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya (AFP via Getty Images)
    Overturned cars lay among other debris caused by flash floods in Derna, eastern Libya (AFP via Getty Images)

Libyan authorities have mostly restricted access to the flood-ravaged town of Derna, preventing civilians from entering. This measure aims to create a safe environment for emergency aid personnel and address worries about potential contamination of stagnant water, which could further contribute to the already alarming number of casualties.

Salem Al-Ferjani, who serves as the director-general of the ambulance and emergency service in eastern Libya, stated in a report by The Guardian that access to the flood-affected parts of the town would be restricted exclusively to search and rescue teams.

Official estimates indicate that the flooding has resulted in a minimum of 11,000 casualties. A considerable number of residents have already chosen to evacuate the town independently.

The decision to close off the town was prompted by the Libyan Red Crescent revising its assessment of the dead and missing. The United Nations has initiated a plea for $71 million and reported that approximately 884,000 people have been impacted by the floods that struck northeastern Libya on Sunday morning.

Bilal Sablouh, who serves as ICRC's regional forensics manager for Africa, told a briefing in Geneva, that “Bodies are littering the streets, washing back on shore and are buried under collapsed buildings and debris. In just two hours, one of my colleagues counted over 200 bodies on the beach near Derna." 

It is worth noting that divers are conducting searches in the coastal waters of the city as well.

Related News

Trump plans to send migrants to Libya on a military flight

French prosecutors request a 7-year prison sentence for Sarkozy

In a joint statement, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross appealed to Libyans to refrain from burying the dead in mass graves.

“Some may move quickly to bury bodies, such as in mass graves, in part in an attempt to manage this distress, and sometimes because of the fear that these bodies pose a health threat,” the statement stressed.

“This approach can be detrimental to the population. Though local authorities and communities can be under immense pressure to bury the dead quickly, the consequences of mismanagement of the dead include long-lasting mental distress for family members as well as social and legal problems,” it added.

Meanwhile, the head of the Libyan National Disease Control Center, Haider al-Sayeh, on Friday, reported that at least 55 children in the northern Libyan city of Derna have been poisoned as a result of water pollution caused by the recent floods.

International aid is slowly starting to reach the port city after Storm Daniel hit the northern coast of Libya on Saturday night. As many as 20,000 people are feared to have died, The Guardian reported.

On September 10, Libya experienced heavy rainfall due to Storm Daniel, resulting in severe flooding in the eastern part of the country. 

Read next: Urgent pleas for body bags as Libya floods spark epidemic fears

  • Libya
  • Libyan Red Crescent
  • Derna
  • Daniel flood

Most Read

Pro-Palestinian protesters march toward the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in Washington (AP)

US House to vote on bill criminalizing boycott of 'Israel'

  • Politics
  • 3 May 2025
Throughout Operation Prosperity Guardian, current and former US military and intelligence officials expressed disquiet at the enormous “cost offset” involved in battling Ansar Allah. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

Ansar Allah triumphant: US facing Red Sea defeat again

  • Opinion
  • 3 May 2025
Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu, senior Israeli official says

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu: Israeli media

  • US & Canada
  • Today
Pakistan downs an Indian jet and hits a military base in Kashmir escalation.

Pakistan downs 3 Indian jets, hits military base in Kashmir escalation

  • Politics
  • 7 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
UN experts warn: Stop the genocide or witness Gaza's end
Politics

Stop the genocide or witness end of life in Gaza: UN experts warn

Israeli police attack mourners as they carry the casket of killed Al Jazeera veteran journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during her funeral in occupied al-Quds, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP)
Politics

Israeli sniper who killed journalist Shireen Abu Akleh identified

The Department of Defense logo is seen on the wall in the Press Briefing room at the Pentagon, Oct. 29, 2024, in Washington. (AP)
Politics

Pentagon’s unused properties drain billions in taxpayer funds

Haaretz
Palestine

Israeli military avoids calling up unwilling reservists: Haaretz

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS