The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Libya, Georgette Gagnon, has designated an emergency team to support local authorities and partners following storm Daniel, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday.
A 12-person UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team has been deployed in Libya to support the world body’s response to the massive flooding that has killed thousands of people with thousands more missing, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, noting that the United Nations is responding to calls for assistance and providing aid in the affected areas.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at the beginning of a Wednesday press conference preceding next week’s annual high-level General Assembly session, again expressed his deepest condolences and full solidarity with all those affected by the flooding in Libya and the deadly earthquake in Morocco.
“These heart-wrenching disasters have claimed thousands of lives and affected countless families and communities,” he said. “The United Nations is mobilizing to support relief efforts and we will work in any and every way we can with partners to help get emergency assistance to those who so desperately need it.”
The UN humanitarians said search-and-rescue operations continue in Libya, led by national agencies, the military, the Libyan Red Crescent and local volunteers.
“The lack of accurate and reliable data across affected regions presents a significant challenge; access challenges and conflicting reports from multiple sources further add to the difficulties in coordinating and effectively deploying humanitarian assistance,” OCHA reported earlier Wednesday in its Flash Update No. 1 report.
According to the report, significant displacement is being observed across affected regions, most notably in Derna, where available data indicates that at least 30,000 individuals were displaced. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, especially in Derna, where accessibility remains a critical challenge due to damaged infrastructure.
The report said critical infrastructure, including healthcare, electricity, buildings, roads and telecommunications, were significantly damaged. However, there is progress in restoring electricity and communications to the affected areas.
“Many international partners indicated their interest to provide emergency response assistance,” OCHA said. “The United Nations in Libya is preparing a flash appeal to garner and coordinate international support in response to Libyans’ request for humanitarian assistance.”
Undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths, the UN emergency relief coordinator, announced on Tuesday an initial allocation of 10 million U.S. dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support people affected by the flooding.
2,300 killed, over 5,000 missing after floods sweep Eastern Libya
At least 2,300 people were killed and more than 5,000 others went missing in the Libyan city of Derna after heavy floods swept eastern part of the country on Sunday, Libya’s health ministry said on [Read More]
