The devastating floods that hit the town of Derna in Libya continue to wreak havoc, a week after the disaster. Local and foreign rescuers are mobilizing to find the thousands of people still missing. The latest reports remain vague, oscillating between 3,000 and 11,000 victims. Abdoulaye Bathily, United Nations representative for Libya, visited the site to see the extent of the damage and support the relief teams.
In an interview with Afrique Matin, Abdoulaye Bathily describes his experience in Derna as “apocalyptic” and “hallucinatory”. He says he saw entire buildings collapsed and a foul smell indicating the presence of bodies under the rubble. Despite this desolate panorama, he is delighted to see volunteers coming from everywhere to help the survivors of this disaster.
However, the organization of relief remains complicated due to the political division of the country. With two governments vying for control of Libya, coordinating relief efforts is difficult. Despite this, Abdoulaye Bathily underlines the desire of the military to work together and the commitment of people from the west of the country to help their fellow citizens.
Regarding international mobilization, Abdoulaye Bathily believes that it is sufficient, but not commensurate with the scale of the disaster. Difficult transport conditions and obstacles on the ground make it difficult to provide relief. However, Libya has significant financial resources to deal with this crisis, with substantial financial support announced by the western government and a budget of nearly $3 billion from Parliament.
The east-west political divide in Libya aggravates the consequences of this catastrophe. If adequate measures had been taken, the consequences would have been less serious. Abdoulaye Bathily underlines the importance of a collective and unified response to mitigate the effects of such a crisis.
In conclusion, Abdoulaye Bathily’s message to the populations of the region and Libya in general is a message of unity. He calls for the unity of the country, territorial integrity and cooperation between the different political actors to face this disaster and rebuild the country.
This article highlights the urgency of the situation in Derna in Libya after the devastating floods. It also underlines the importance of relief coordination and political unity to deal with such disasters. While providing concrete information on the situation, the article offers a nuanced perspective and calls for action.