Floods displaced over 43,000 people in northeastern Libya: IOM
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The number has risen from the 30,000 estimated by the IOM last week.
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Rescuers and relatives sit in front of collapsed buildings after recent flooding caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel in Derna, Libya, on September 18, 2023. (AP)
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), severe floods in northern Libya have caused over 43,000 people to flee their homes.
"An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by floods in northeastern Libya," according to a Wednesday report.
According to the group, over 24,500 people have been relocated from Derna, one of the region's hardest-hit localities.
Read more: UN fears spread of diseases in Derna and 'second devastating crisis'
The lack of water in the city has forced many people to relocate to the eastern municipalities of Tobruk and Benghazi, as well as the western municipalities of Tripoli, Hai Alandalus, Misrata, Ghiryan, and Qasr bin Ghasheer, according to the organization, adding that the majority of the displaced people are being hosted by relatives.
The death toll in Derna alone neared 4,000 and is projected to grow.
Last week, Libya's National Center For Diseases Control declared a one-year state of emergency in all the eastern regions devastated by Storm Daniel, in an attempt to prevent the potential spread of diseases.
According to recent research published on Tuesday, climate change increased the likelihood of the devastating flooding that occurred in Libya by up to 50 times. The study also noted that violence and negligent dam maintenance contributed to the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the harsh weather.
Scientists deemed Daniel, which developed in the eastern Mediterranean, to be the deadliest and most costly storm to ever affect the Mediterranean and Africa. For the first 10 days of September, the storm caused fatal floods throughout the region.
