Hospitals in Eastern Libya overcrowded due to floods: Ministry

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Sep 2023 23:30

Rescue teams from Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, and France have landed in the country, the Minister of Civil Aviation said.

Damage caused by the floods in Derna. (AP)

The Libyan Minister of Civil Aviation in the eastern administration of Libya, Hisham Chkiouat, told reporters on Wednesday that hospitals in eastern Libya are unable to accommodate all the victims of the fatal floods.

Due to this, some patients will need to be transferred to hospitals in the central part of the country, he noted.

"All hospitals in the eastern region are admitting the injured, their number is growing rapidly. I do not think hospitals in the east can admit such a number [of patients], however, efforts to transfer many of them to hospitals in the central region and in Sirte is underway," Chkiouat said.

The Minister added that rescue teams from Turkey, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, and France have landed in the country.

Local residents in Bayda, east #Libya, urge the authorities to declare a state of disaster as Storm Daniel lashes the city, causing mass flooding in most of the areas including the city’s Central Hospital. pic.twitter.com/n89MDiOYbB
— The Libya Observer (@Lyobserver) September 10, 2023

Below are some medications needed in Qurena hospital in Shahat #Eastern #Libya:

To support:
[email protected]
Phone: +218916326368
Whatsapp: +218924014398 pic.twitter.com/u9AOA4G8XH
— Amera Markous (@MarkousAmera) September 11, 2023

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.

As of the latest official update on Wednesday, the death toll from the floods in Libya has surpassed 7,000.

Additionally, the International Committee of the Red Cross representative informed Sputnik that more than 9,000 people are reported as missing in Derna.

The death toll from flooding in the city of Derna in eastern Libya may reach 18,000 or 20,000, mayor Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi said on Wednesday.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that at least 30,000 individuals had to evacuate their homes in Derna.

Morocco & Libya Disasters

Natural disasters have struck North Africa; From a 7 magnitude earthquake that hit the province of al-Haouz, Morocco, to a catastrophic flooding breaking dams and sweeping away homes in Libya. In Morocco, the earthquake has killed more than 2,000 people and caused severe damage in several areas. Rescuers are digging through rubble in the remote mountains of Morocco in a desperate bid to find survivors from the deadliest earthquake to strike the country in decades. While 2,000 people have died and 10,000 are believed missing after Storm Daniel dumped so much rain on Libya’s northeast that two dams collapsed sending water flowing into already inundated areas.