Libyan Prime Minister Announces Division of Flood-Affected City to Mitigate Risk of Epidemic Outbreaks

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Prime Minister Ossama Hamad of Libya’s eastern administration revealed on Tuesday that the city of Derna, severely affected by recent flooding, has been partitioned into four separate zones. This action is aimed at creating buffer areas to prevent the spread of diseases and epidemics. The announcement comes a day after massive public demonstrations in the city called for immediate rebuilding efforts.

Last week, Mediterranean Storm Daniel led to the failure of two dams, unleashing torrents of water that ravaged through Derna. Varying estimates of the death toll have been provided by governmental agencies and humanitarian organizations, ranging from approximately 4,000 to as high as 11,000 individuals.

During a telephonic conversation with Al-Arabiya TV, a Saudi-owned channel, Prime Minister Hamad stated that the impacted areas are now entirely isolated. “In anticipation of potential disease outbreaks, the military and governmental bodies have initiated the establishment of buffer zones,” Hamad elaborated. No additional information was offered during the interview.

In a related development, reports from local media outlets confirmed that internet services were disrupted in the eastern regions of the country on Tuesday morning.

On the preceding Monday, the United Nations issued a cautionary statement indicating that the onset of a disease epidemic could exacerbate the already severe crisis.

In Derna’s first large-scale protest since the flooding incident, demonstrators congregated outside the al-Shabana mosque on Monday. Calls were made for an expedited inquiry into the disaster, the rapid reconstruction of the city, and other pressing concerns.

Later on Monday, former Mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Gaithi reported that his residence was set ablaze by protesters. Legal authorities initiated a probe on Saturday to investigate the collapse of the two dams, originally constructed in the 1970s, along with scrutiny into the allocation of their maintenance funds. al-Gaithi was suspended from his role pending the outcome of the investigation.

Public sentiment largely holds political figures responsible for the current crisis. Since 2014, Libya has been split between two competing administrations, both backed by international supporters and armed militias. Their influence has surged since the 2011 NATO-supported Arab Spring uprising ousted long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Despite the deployment of humanitarian teams by both administrations, the overall disaster relief response has been critically hampered by poor coordination. According to local residents, aid has been distributed inconsistently.

There is considerable discrepancy in the reported death tolls and statistical data, as released by multiple authoritative organizations.

Bashir Omar, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, stated on Tuesday that search and rescue operations continue, with teams still discovering bodies amidst the rubble and in the sea. Although he confirmed that the number of fatalities was in the thousands, Omar refrained from providing a precise number, citing the involvement of multiple organizations in the body-recovery efforts.

Last week, the Libyan Red Crescent reported that at least 11,300 individuals have lost their lives in the disaster, with an additional 10,000 reported missing. Contradicting earlier figures, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is now quoting substantially lower numbers, estimating approximately 4,000 fatalities and 9,000 missing persons.

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Contributions to this report were made by Big Big News correspondents Jack Jeffery in London and Samy Magdy in Cairo.

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More about Derna flood disaster

• Derna Flood Crisis: Official Announcement
• United Nations Warning on Derna Situation
• Al-Arabiya Interview with Prime Minister Ossama Hamad
• Local Media Reports on Internet Outage in Eastern Libya
• International Committee of the Red Cross Statement on Derna
• Public Protests in Derna: Eyewitness Accounts
• Investigation into Dam Failures and Maintenance Funds
• Libyan Red Crescent’s Initial Death Toll Estimates
• Conflicting Death Toll Reports by U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs