By Winnie Kamau
Derna, Libya: During one of the AU- virtual training by ImpactHer a call for distress burst through by Rayan Isam Denna.
Rayan announced to the whole team of participants drawn from all over Africa of a Climate emergency that was happening in his location in Derna, Libya.
“Sorry for the interruption but I couldn’t join the class because of the disaster situation happening in my country. Climate emergency! Since most of the international media are ignoring the horrific situation in Libya, we raise our voices to point out the extent of the damage that is taking place in eastern Libya in particular from the high levels of rain, floods, massive destruction of property and monitoring more deaths and losses” said a distressed Rayan
Adding “We are calling on everyone to provide assistance with their humanitarian role! Because most international media ignore the horrific situation in Libya, we raise our voices to point out the extent of the damage taking place in eastern Libya, specifically from rising rainwater levels, floods, massive destruction of property, and monitoring of deaths as a result of Daniel Storm” Rayan explained.
Rayan felt the disaster was currently ignored by the world “We call on everyone to do their humanitarian role and provide assistance!” he urged.
The municipal council of Dernah City, located in the East of Libya, confirmed the complete collapse of two dams in the city and the situation is out of control. The Floods covered the city center, destroying large residential buildings, and pushing them into the Mediterranean Sea along with their residents.
The National Center of Meteorology also stated that exceptional amounts of rain reached 414.1 mm. The number of victims of the hurricane reached 2,400 deaths, and the number of injured people reached 8,000, as it is difficult to communicate with residents of the eastern region due to damaged roads and the interruption of communication networks, power and the Internet.
According to an Aljazeera report, Derna Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television the estimated number of deaths in the city could reach between 18,000 to 20,000 based on the number of districts destroyed by the flood.
Mabrooka Elmesmary, a journalist who managed to leave Derna on Tuesday, describes the city as a “disaster on a massive scale”. “There is no water, no electricity, no petrol,” she told Al Jazeera. “The city is flattened.”
Apartment buildings with families inside have been swept away, she said. “There’s a wave of displacement as people are trying to flee Derna but many are stuck because a lot of the roads are blocked or gone,” Elmesmary said, adding that some families have been taking shelter in schools.
Rescue efforts
According to media reports Rescue teams have arrived from Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar, said Derna mayor al-Ghaithi.
“We actually need teams specialized in recovering bodies,” he said. “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.”
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Benghazi, said a field hospital was part of Qatar’s contribution to this “seemingly growing international aid effort to Libya”.
“This is one of three Qatari military … cargo planes expected to arrive in Benghazi today,” Stratford said.
