Difficulties in transporting bodies amid Libya Disaster: Exclusive

By Al Mayadeen English
20 Sep 2023 20:25

Libya's GASIMP says a genetic mapping fact sheet must be drawn up for the families of the victims to facilitate the process of identifying bodies.

Members of the Turkish and Libyan Red Crescent recover the body of a flood victim amid rubble and mud, in Libya's eastern city of Derna on September 20, 2023 (AFP)

Kamal Abu Bakr, the head of Libya's General Authority for the Search and Identification of Missing Persons (GASIMP), told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday that the authority is facing huge difficulties in the process of transporting the bodies of the victims of the flash floods that hit several Libyan areas.

Previously, a flash flood broke through two aging river dams upstream from the city on the night of September 10 and razed entire neighborhoods, leaving thousands of victims.

Abu Bakr emphasized that a genetic mapping fact sheet must be drawn up for the families of the victims to facilitate the process of identifying the bodies.

More than a week after the disaster affected Libyan cities, people are still trying to absorb the shock amidst popular protests over the negligence.

According to the United Nations, the death toll from the floods that struck the Libyan city of Derna has risen to 11,300, but the Libyan Red Crescent pointed out that the aforementioned toll is not accurate.

The organization's office for humanitarian affairs highlighted that more than 10,000 people are still missing in the devastated city, adding that the number of deaths in other cities affected by the disaster has reached 170.

In the same context, Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, pointed out that it is difficult to obtain accurate numbers of victims, especially with the ongoing search for bodies and survivors.

Kaneko said that the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 3,922 deaths so far, while the Minister of Health in the eastern Libyan government said on Sunday that the floods have claimed the lives of 3,283 people.

The United Nations said that more than 1,000 people have been buried in mass graves, and the Libyan authorities announced that 150 people were poisoned due to contaminated water in the affected areas.

Libya's National Center For Diseases Control affiliated with the Libyan National Unity Government called on citizens to rely on alternative drinking water sources, warning that drinking water in Derna is not fit for consumption.

#StormDaniel caused massive floods in the #Libyan city of #Derna. Here are some information about the port city.#Libya #HurricaneDaniel #تضامنا_مع_ليبيا #ليبيا #اعصار_ليبيا pic.twitter.com/K6Vg4spYTl
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 13, 2023

The center declared on Saturday a state of emergency for a full year in the affected areas in the east of the country, clarifying that the decision was taken in order to prevent the potential spread of any disease. UN agencies warned on Monday that it faces the threat of disease outbreaks which could bring "a second devastating crisis".

It also pointed to a high number of cases of water poisoning in the city as a result of drinking water mixing with sewage. The center's head, Haider al-Sayeh, reported on Friday that at least 55 children in Derna were poisoned as a result of water pollution caused by the recent floods.

The interim Libyan government, appointed by the House of Representatives, issued a decision to dismiss the entire municipal council of Derna and refer its members to investigation, in the wake of anti-corruption protests staged on Monday by hundreds of residents.