The Mediterranean cyclone, Storm Daniel, hit land on September 4 and lasted until September 12. The storm heavily impacted northeast Lybia, decimating the city of Derna. The death toll is estimated to be over 11,000. Given the extent of damage to buildings and infrastructure, finding missing persons within flooded areas and rubble is extremely difficult. The magnitude of destruction was made possible due to two dams breaking during the storm. These dams had not had proper upkeep funding since 2002. Turkish contractor “Arsel Construction Company” was supposedly hired back in 2007 to do repairs and confirmed on their website that the work was completed in 2012. With the recent news of the dam breaks, Arsel has now taken its website down - leaving many to wonder if the repairs were ever made.
Libya has been in a state of conflict since 2011 when the first Libyan civil war began after security forces fired on protestors in Benghazi. This civil war led to a counter-movement that grew in popularity across the country and generated support from the UN. With UN support, the government fronted by Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown. Today Lybia is still trying to substantiate a new government ever since this upheaval. Two main groups in Lybia now fight over governance of the country. The “Government of National Accord,” (GNA) controls the western part of Lybia and is backed by the UN, Turkey, Italy, and Qatar. “Lybian National Army” (LNA) and “House of Reps” control the east of Lybia, they are backed by Egypt, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia. It’s worth noting that LNA is the group run by former Gaddafi leadership.
Before Storm Daniel hit land, Lybian "Non-Governmental Organization" researchers had warned that the dams in Derna would not be able to handle the storm. Initially, the Mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithiissued, ordered an evacuation of the city but was stopped by Haftar (current LNA leader) ultimately dooming residents. 8 Lybian officials have been charged by Lybia’s Prosecutor General for bad management and negligence. Survivors of the floods in Derna call for accountability and request the UN to get involved and launch an investigation. In order to silence vocal citizens, a media blackout in the area has been imposed. Internet and cell networks have been shut off, journalists have been detained, and UN officials have been barred from visiting.
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