Death toll in the raging floods in Libya has reached more than 6,000 people, with another 10,000 reported missing, the International Organization for Migration (IMO) says in a situation report on Thursday.
The UN migration agency said most of the dead were swept out to the Mediterranean Sea or buried under rubble in the flooding that emanated as a result of torrential rain caused by tropical Storm Daniel which hit the eastern parts of the country on Tuesday.
The report, which was presented to the United Nations, said not less than 30,000 of the people had been displaced from the city of Derna which had been the worst hit in the incident while thousands more from other provinces including Benghazi had also been affected.
The agency further noted that apart from the destruction witnessed in the affected cities, surviving residents now faced humanitarian crisis including food shortages, lack of water and medical supplies.
In a separate report, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said the situation in Derna was very bad and that international support was needed.
The head of communications at the IFRC Middle East and North Africa office, Mey Al Sayegh, in a briefing on X, said that there was no clean drinking water in Derna and no medical supplies, and that the only hospital in the city could no longer take patients.
Al Sayegh added that what was needed now was water, shelter, medical aid, food and psychosocial support, as Libya had already faced challenges for years and needed funding.
“This is going to be a tragic situation for tens of thousands, not just in Derna, but also across Libya. The thing about this is that Libya, with its many problems, has been off the headlines for months, if not over a year now.
“Now it’s back in the spotlight, and it is important to stress that Libya has been left behind. The Libya crisis has been left behind. And now it’s time for donors to get back on track and fund this emergency”, she said.