Storm Daniel and flood have caused severe devastation in the African country Libya. After the storm, two dams broke near Derna city with a population of 10 thousand. The entire city has been destroyed by this.
More than 5 thousand people have died in the country so far. According to media reports, more than 15 thousand people are missing. There are only 700 bodies which have been identified.
The whereabouts of 123 soldiers engaged in the rescue operation is also not known. This is the reason why now even the army seems helpless. Selected airports present in the country are not suitable for any heavy or cargo aircraft to land there. This is the reason why it is becoming difficult to provide help here.
The Health Minister said that dead bodies were seen floating in water in many areas. Dead bodies have decomposed in many houses.
Flood in entire Derna city, dead bodies not being identified
According to Al Jazeera, there were two dams near the port city of Derna, which were broken due to the storm and flood. The height of one of these dams was 230 feet. This dam was destroyed first. According to reports, these dams were not maintained since 2002. The entire city has been flooded. So far 700 people have died in this city with a population of 10 thousand. The situation is so bad that there is no space left even to bury those who died. Dead bodies can be seen on the streets.
What is the reason for this destruction?
According to the report, the presence or absence of a government in Libya is the same. There is a government in Tripoli, in the western part. 80% devastation has occurred in the eastern part of the country. There are dozens of tribes here and each clan rules over some part of it. Obviously, there is no proper administration, government or any single ruler in Libya since 2011.
America, Spain and Turkey as well as UN and Red Cross are also sending help here. The question is whether it will reach the needy? And even if it reaches, how? Because there is no such thing as infrastructure and whatever was there was also destroyed in the flood. This Daniel storm caused devastation in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria last week. 12 people died there. It was certain that the storm was now moving towards Libya. No steps were taken here in five days. The biggest devastation was caused by the bursting of two dams. Now the third one is also on the verge of bursting. Secondly, most of Libya’s population and cities are on the sea coast. Therefore, when Hurricane Daniel hit the coastal areas here, there was a lot of destruction.
Health Minister said- dead bodies are floating in water
The Health Minister said, ‘The situation in Derna area is so bad that many places cannot even be reached. This is why we can only guess what the ground situation will be. Dead bodies are seen floating in water in many areas. Dead bodies have decomposed in many houses and due to this there is a danger of diseases spreading. I think 25% of Derna city has been destroyed.
The government said that when the final figures come, the world may be surprised. Such bad conditions happened only in 1959. Many countries of the world have offered help, but it remains to be seen how they will be able to help. Neither the airport is safe nor the roads are safe.
Know about the African country Libya…
The country of Libya is spread over 17.6 lakh km square in the northern part of the African continent. Its capital is Tripoli. Libya is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Egypt.
The total population of Libya is 67.4 lakh. According to 2021, Libya’s GDP is 23 thousand crores. 95% of Libya’s revenue comes from the petroleum sector, which accounts for 60% of the country’s GDP. Due to low population and high profits in the petroleum sector, Libya’s per capita income is above 5 lakhs. For this reason Libya is at number 91 in the list of major economies.
government in name only
Between 1911-12, Italy ended the Ottoman Empire here and occupied Libya. Movements against Italian rule began during the 1920s. However, it took about 20 years to get freedom from this movement. In 1942, Italy and its ally Germany decided to leave the country. Despite this, tribal conflict continued in Libya and in 1951, King Idris declared it an independent country. Around 1956, focus started on oil production here. In 1969, dictator Muammar Gaddafi overthrew King Idris and declared himself ruler.
In 2011, demonstrations against Gaddafi started in the country’s biggest city Benghazi and then spread to every corner of the country. During this time he was also killed. This trend continued till 2016 and during this time, with the intervention of UN, a committee was formed here. You can also call it a caretaker government.
In 2021, this government was given a better form and Abdul Hameed became its Prime Minister. A committee was formed for oil revenue sharing in 2023. However, it was of no use. Even today, war continues between different tribes. The government controls very little part of the country. According to a report by ‘Al Arab’, no road has been built in Libya since 2011. Currently, Turkey has sent a medical team of 84 people and some medicines to Benghazi city.
According to UN, the situation in Libya is being monitored and some emergency plans have also been made. However, to provide help there, help from other countries will have to be taken. According to an officer, the situation which was created after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria a few months ago, is similar in Libya also. First of all we have to understand the ground situation.
