Twelve days ago, the east of the country was hit by devastating floods. The latest official report shows more than 3,300 deaths, a frightening figure which testifies to the violence of this natural disaster. In order to witness this damage and understand the extent of the damage, RFI’s special correspondent went to Derna, a town hard hit by the floods.
What is immediately striking about the city is the absence of life. The city center of Derna is completely deserted, almost a third of the city has been reduced to ruins. Prohibited to journalists and residents, the disaster areas give the impression of being ghost towns. The only sounds that can be heard are the construction machines working to find the people buried under the rubble. We also hear about clearing work to try to re-establish a passable road. The destruction is such that one might believe that a tsunami had hit the city. All bridges, including the two large bridges at the entrance to the city center, are completely destroyed. Bypasses have been put in place to allow access to the city.
The Libyan National Army has decided to close the city center of Derna in order to secure the premises and facilitate the search for the missing. In a neighborhood relatively untouched by the floods, some surviving families found refuge in a school. Each carries its own story, marked by what they call “the flood”. Most of the survivors were welcomed by their families in the neighboring towns of Jabal Al Akhdar or Benghazi. Very few of them are in reception centers or schools. In one of these rooms, volunteers display photos of deceased and unidentified people. This center will soon open its doors to allow families to recognize their missing loved ones.
The death toll has now been compiled by the Libyan National Army, which has buried more than 3,360 people according to the latest report. However, this figure does not take into account the missing. It is therefore important to remain vigilant and not forget all the people still missing.
The images of the town of Derna after the floods are striking. They bear witness to the destructive force of nature and the extent of the damage caused by floods. Solidarity is being organized to help the victims and rebuild a city which is trying to recover from this terrible event. It is essential that the international community mobilizes to provide support to the people of Derna and prevent such a catastrophe from happening again in the future.