Libya: Flood Response Humanitarian Update (As of 28 September 2023) [EN/AR]

This report is produced by OCHA Libya in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 23 to 28 September 2023, following the Flash Update No. 7 of 23 September. The next report will be issued on 3 October 2023.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Humanitarian Coordinator discussed the coordination of the humanitarian response with local authorities in Derna.

• As international rescue teams begin to phase out, the humanitarian response is scaling up and coordination mechanisms have been fully established in Benghazi.

• About 27 partners are active in the affected area and have reached over 125,000 people in the first two weeks after the disaster.

• Humanitarian partners support cleaning and repairs of schools to ensure they can be reopened soon.

• Affected people raise access to safe drinking water, psychological support, health care and medicines to treat chronic diseases, high food prices and interrupted banking services, displacement, and damaged homes as their most urgent concerns.

• First analysis is available on the scale of destruction and requirements for early recovery.

250K affected people

250K targeted for assistance

40K internally displaced

4,255 deaths

452 rescued

8,540 missing

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Between 9 and 11 September 2023, Storm Daniel caused flooding and destruction in the coastal areas of northeastern Libya. The burst of Mansour and Derna dams sent a devastating flood wave through the city centre of Derna. Other locations - Sousa, Toukra, Tolmeita, Albayda, Shahat, Albayada and Benghazi - also experienced damage to houses and infrastructure and received additional people displaced by the floods.

As of 27 September, four international search-and-rescue (SAR) and three emergency medical teams (EMT) were continuing their operations in Derna, while 17 international teams demobilized. Over 800 rescue workers from 12 countries supported local first responders and together they were able to save 452 people in the first week after the disaster. As of 23 September, 8,500 people were reported missing.

UNICEF works with relevant local authorities to register unaccompanied children, to reunite them with their families or find solutions for those who lost their parents in the floods.

On September 26, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya concluded her second visit to Derna since the floods. During her mission, she met displaced families sheltered in schools and discussed the coordination of humanitarian assistance with local authorities and communities.

As of 26 September, about 40,000 people remained displaced due to the floods (Libya Displacement Tracking Matrix (iom.int). Some displaced families have reportedly returned home, such as in in Almarj where 350 houses were damaged. Most displaced families are staying with host families; others are sheltering in 19 schools and other displacement sites. Some of the persons displaced by Storm Daniel had been previously displaced as a result of armed conflict.

Electricity and banking services are partly restored but continue to remain unavailable for many people. Food prices reportedly remain higher than usual. There is a shortage of medicines required for the treatment of chronic diseases. At least 40 health facilities and 117 schools were affected. People who remain in their damaged homes require support with relief items (NFIs) and access to essential services (Health, WASH). Demand for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is high.

Satellite imagery analysis indicates that over 2,200 buildings were destroyed in Derna. Roads in the affected areas are progressively reopening, allowing access to more locations. The flood wave caused pollution in urban areas and altered the natural topography and covered land and coastal water with sediment. Extensive damage to the sewage system resulted in the contamination of soil and groundwater. No larger release of chemicals has been reported so far; but industrial sites and gas stations bear risks that require further analysis.

FAO has analysed remote sensing data which indicate that a small percentage of flooded land is cropland. However, impact on agricultural activities could be significant given the potential damage to irrigation networks and availability of irrigation water. The massive run-off of sediments, debris and pollutants reaching several kilometres off the coast will have a likely impact on marine life and the fishing sector.

Restoring access to education is an immediate priority for humanitarian response. The school year had not yet started in the east of the country at the onset of the emergency, and as such schools in the 15 affected municipalities were closed. Following the floods, the start of the school year has been delayed until 1 October. Of the 447 schools in the affected municipalities, 117 were impacted by the floods; 4 were completely destroyed, 40 were severely damaged and the remaining 73 were partially damaged or rendered unusable due to mud and debris. In addition, 19 schools are being used to shelter IDPs. UNICEF is coordinating with local authorities to support the clean up and rehabilitation of schools, to ensure that children can return to school safely from the beginning of October.