2023-09-14 00:04:00
After the devastating storm in Libya, more than 3,000 people were buried in the disaster areas, according to a spokesman for the Interior Ministry of one of the two governments in the civil war country. The exact number of deaths is still difficult to determine, the spokesman said yesterday, Wednesday.
Hundreds of unidentified bodies were buried in mass graves following more than 2,000 identified victims were buried on Tuesday. Around 90 dead people from Egypt were flown home. The spokesman continued that up to 9,000 deaths might be expected.
Tens of thousands have lost their homes. In Darna alone, more than 30,000 people are homeless, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Several thousand more are affected in other parts of the country. Images from the civil war country with around seven million inhabitants show the extent of the damage.
UN offers its help
More and more countries are offering their support, including the United Nations. A spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York said they were working with local, national and international partners “to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance to people in the affected areas.” A UN team is on site. We are cooperating with the authorities to identify needs and support ongoing relief measures.
In addition to Darna, other cities such as Al-Baida, Al-Marj, Susa and Shahat were also affected. At the end of the general audience in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Francis remembered the people of Libya and Morocco.
Picture gallery: Devastating damage following storms in Libya
(Foto: – (The Press Office of Libyan Prime)) Bild 1/40
View gallery
The Austrian Red Cross is releasing 150,000 euros as emergency aid for the crisis regions in North Africa. “This is an initial measure with which we can contribute to ensuring that the people affected by the disaster can be provided with urgently needed aids such as blankets or warm meals,” said Red Cross Secretary General Michael Opriesnig yesterday.
According to Libya expert Wolfram Lacher from the Science and Politics Foundation (SWP), the catastrophe in the country is also linked to the political situation: The reason for the extent of the catastrophe is the breach of two dams above Darna, which have not been sufficient for years invested in the infrastructure. “Gaddafi punished the city for the fact that insurgents had taken up arms in it,” said Lacher.
Although some money has always flowed in recent years, “but some of it went into the pockets of militia leaders and war profiteers.”
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