Srinagar, Sept 12: Imagine a kind of rainfall that normally falls over eight months arriving on a single day! That is what happened on September 10-11, 2023, when a powerful storm brought torrential rain and flooding to northeastern Libya, causing havoc and loss of life never seen before.
As this report was being filed by Ziraat Times Team on Tuesday, the death toll in Derna city of Libya is estimated to be at least 3,000, with at least 10,000 more missing, including women and children.
Libya has announced a 3-day mourning and is still estimating the losses.
The worst affected area was the city of Derna, where two dams collapsed under the pressure of the flooding, washing away entire neighborhoods. The flooding has also caused widespread damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and hospitals, reports said.
What actually caused the havoc
Local and international media reports, including the situation reports produced by the UN sugget that a heavy rainfall was the main cause, which was much more than the area typically receives in September.
Large amounts of rainfall resulted in the delugement of two water reserviors which made two dams to collapse.
Reports also suggest that the poor drainage infrastructure in Derna, which made it difficult for the water to drain away, contributed its part in the Derna city.
Moreover, the ongoing conflict in Libya has also damaged infrastructure and maintenance pf public assets has been poor.
UK’s Guardian newspaper highlighted the role of unusual European summer temperatures that could have led to warmer Mediterranean seas and the usual precipitation
For months this summer, the region had already sweltered under an unprecedented heatwave. Scientists say that the heatwave raised sea surface temperatures, which could have encouraged the formation of a Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone, or “medicane”, Guardian wrote.
“While no formal attribution of the role of climate change in making Storm Daniel more intense has been conducted yet, it is safe to say that the Mediterranean sea surface temperatures have been considerably above average throughout summer,” said Dr Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist at Leipzig University.
Impact of the flooding
The impact of the flooding has been devastating. So far at least 2000 people, mostly women and children are confirmed dead. These are the unfortunate people who were taken by surprise by flash floods, mostly at night time, with their homes being swept away by ferocious flood waters.
As of 12 September, thousands of people have been displaced from their homes, and many have lost everything they own. The flooding has also caused widespread damage to agriculture, which will have a negative impact on food security in the region.
Humanitarian impact of the disaster
While the international community has pledged to provide assistance to Libya, but the scale of the disaster is such that it will take a long time to recover.
The flooding has also caused a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people in need of food, water, shelter, and medical care.
The flooding has also damaged schools and other essential infrastructure, making it difficult for children to continue their education.
The climate change factor
Climate experts believe that the flooding in Derna is a reminder of the intense vulnerability of communities to climate change.
“The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are increasing, and this is likely to have a major impact on least developed and emerging economies”, a UN official said.
