Urgent pleas for body bags as Libya floods spark epidemic fears
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The mayor of the flood-hit city of Derna is calling for body-recovery teams as international aid starts to arrive.
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A general view of the city of Derna on September 12, 2023 (AP)
Rescue workers in the devastated Libyan city of Derna have appealed for more body bags after a catastrophic flood killed thousands of people and swept many out to sea overnight on Monday.
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.
“We actually need teams specialized in recovering bodies,” said the mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi as quoted by The Guardian.
“I fear that the city will be infected with an epidemic due to the large number of bodies under the rubble and in the water,” he added.
Hichem Abu Chkiouat, the minister responsible for civil aviation in the governing body of eastern Libya, has reported that more bodies are washing ashore. Coastal patrols are in active search of these bodies, with many of them being transported to Tobruk for potential identification.
“Bodies are everywhere, inside houses, in the streets, at sea. Wherever you go, you find dead men, women, and children,” Emad al-Falah, an aid worker from Benghazi, conveyed to the Associated Press via telephone from Derna.
“Entire families were lost,” he added.
If Derna in Libya looks like a war zone, it's because we are in a war against fossil fuels, and right now they are winning.
— Extinction Rebellion Global (@ExtinctionR) September 14, 2023
🎥: Alwasat Libya pic.twitter.com/LtEIup37e4
The pressing need to bury the bodies to prevent the spread of disease has led to the collective burial of hundreds in a single grave. Derna's residents have been appealing for a new field hospital as the town's two existing hospitals have turned into makeshift morgues.
Rescue teams have arrived from Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Qatar, as confirmed by Mayor al-Ghaithi. Turkey is also dispatching a ship carrying equipment to establish two field hospitals and 148 medical staff to aid in the rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, reports from Egyptian media indicate that the flood's casualties encompass dozens of Egyptian migrants. Their bodies arrived in Beni Suef, located approximately 110km (68 miles) south of Cairo, on Wednesday.
Concerns have arisen due to the proximity of Derna and neighboring Sousse to Italy and Greece, as these areas served as hubs for thousands of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean. Many of these migrants are likely to have lived in inadequate housing near the port.
Aid agencies have been struggling to access Derna, a city with a population of just over 100,000, due to the extensive damage to its roads. Helicopters, mainly provided by Egypt, have been reportedly required for assistance.
It is worth noting that the Libyan Minister of Civil Aviation in the eastern administration of Libya, Hichem Abu Chkiouat, told reporters on Wednesday that hospitals in eastern Libya are unable to accommodate all the victims of the fatal floods.
On September 10, Libya experienced heavy rainfall due to Storm Daniel, resulting in severe flooding in the eastern part of the country.
Susah and Derna were declared disaster areas, and both air and sea ports were temporarily closed. Curfews were also imposed in several affected cities.
