Libyans impacted by deadly floods need long-term support, aid group says

Libyans impacted by deadly flooding that hit the country's northeast earlier this month need long-term support, an aid group said on Friday.

Islamic Relief said additional support is required to provide aid to thousands of displaced families, rebuild homes and essential infrastructure and assist people in coping with psychological stress.

Tens of thousands were left displaced or dead by the flooding. Whole families have been destroyed in Derna, the place most heavily impacted.

"A close friend of mine in Derna has lost 60 members of their family. I was lost for words – how can you give condolences to people who have suffered that? Multiple generations all wiped out," said Salah Aboulgasem, Islamic Relief's deputy director of partner development.

"A lot of people there live in a block of flats with different generations of the family on different floors, and some of those buildings have been completely destroyed," Aboulgasem said.

"People have also been assisting the search and rescue operation and identifying bodies, which can be incredibly traumatic," Aboulgasem added.

"Thousands of people are still missing and bodies of loved ones might never be recovered. We may never find out exactly what’s happened to many of these missing people."

While children are supposed to be beginning a new term at school, more than a quarter of schools in the impacted municipalities have been left destroyed, seriously damaged or unusable and many will be left with nowhere to learn.

An additional 19 schools are being used to house displaced families.

Vital infrastructure was destroyed or badly damaged, particularly water and sanitation systems.

The rainy season is set to begin and poor sanitation is likely to increase the likelihood of disease spreading.

#LIBYA

Alhamdulillah, with the support of local partners, Islamic Relief is providing over a thousand hot meals a day to victims of the floods. 🍲

Thank you for your generosity, and please continue to support 🤲🏼https://t.co/XsiBgi2mw6 pic.twitter.com/pq1ji1KHsA

— Islamic Relief (@IRWorldwide) September 20, 2023

The charity said it was collaborating with local partners to operate a kitchen in Derna to provide flood survivors with 39,000 hot meals over 30 days. It also distributed aid such as blankets, mattresses and hygiene kits to over 5,000 people.

"The needs are many and those suffering must have support," Aboulgasem said.

"We know that in Libya the people are very hospitable, and people across the country are very broken and hurt by this moment and they want to help their fellow Libyans."