2023 Libya Floods

• As of Sept. 15, the Libyan Red Crescent said the death toll had reached 11,300 people in Derna alone. Officials expect this figure to continue to rise, possibly as high as 20,000. About 170 people were also killed in other parts of eastern Libya, including in Susa, Marj, Bayda and Um Razaz. More than 7,000 people were injured and at least 10,100 people are still reported to be missing. Because of the lack of telecommunications, some may be displaced and unable to reach family, but due to the large-scale destruction, it is hard to confirm these figures.
• According to Floodlist, Libya’s National Center of Meteorology reported, “in a 24 hour period to Sept. 10, a staggering 414.1 mm [16.2 inches] of rain was recorded in Bayda, while 240 mm [9.5 inches] of rain fell in Marawah in the District of Jabal al Akhdar, and 170 mm [6.7] fell in Al Abraq in the Derna District.”
• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Sept. 17 that displaced individuals have moved out of Derna to eastern locations including Albayda, Tobruk, Alfataeh, Toukra, Benghazi and Martuba. Some displaced people from eastern Libya have moved to multiple locations in western Libya. IOM estimates that the disaster has displaced 43,000 individuals in eastern Lybia. There are around 16,000 displaced individuals in Derna and surrounding areas alone.
• UNOCHA said on Sept. 15 that almost 900,000 people living in the five provinces affected by the floods have been impacted.
• According to UNOCHA on Sept. 19, there have been 150 reported cases of illness due to water contamination and Derna has recorded at least 55 children who have become sick as a result of contaminated water.

A Reuters report on Sept. 12 said, “Derna is bisected by a seasonal river that flows from highlands to the south, and normally protected from flooding by dams.” The collapse of two dams is a major infrastructure failure and raises the prospect of further flooding should additional rainfall occur.

Communications remain disrupted in Derna, impeding rescue and relief efforts. Across affected areas, there are reports of damage to homes, roads, bridges and hospitals. Access to some areas is limited due to road damage. While a full count is not complete, at least 2,217 buildings have been exposed to flooding.

The dam reservoirs in Derna have caused at least five floods since 1942, most recently in 2011.  They were built in the 1970s. Derna’s deputy mayor told Al Jazeera, “The dams have not been maintained since 2002, and they are not big.”

The Derna Dam is about 246 feet high with a capacity of almost 5 billion gallons, while the Mansour Dam is smaller at 148 feet and just under 400 million gallons. But the problems with the dams were known.

As reported in CNN, previous research had “warned that the dams in Derna had a ‘high potential for flood risk’ and that periodic maintenance is needed to avoid ‘catastrophic’ flooding.” This maintenance was not carried out due to the political conflict. The dams will need to be rebuilt and maintained. Libya’s chief prosecutor ordered the detention of eight current and former officials pending an investigation into the recent flood disaster.

Authorities said after the disaster that two other dams, the Jaza Dam, located between the city of Derna and nearby Benghazi, and the Qattara damm, near Benghazi, were in good condition. However, UNOCHA expressed concern about the dams with both managing significant pressure.

The water and sanitation infrastructure in affected areas also received significant damage, raising concerns of waterborne diseases spreading.

In their Sept. 23 flash update, UNOCHA said, “Rushing floodwater led to the demolition of water networks in multiple locations, including the destruction of pipes linking the water desalination plant at Derna; damage to the sewage pipes linking eastern and western Derna; and cutting off links between man-made river boreholes at Al Bayada supplying Almerj and other cities.”

Libya’s disaster vulnerability is increased by its political conflict, which has seen a power struggle between two rival administrations.

BBC explains, “Since 2014, Libya has been divided into competing political and military factions based in different parts of the country.” However, Libya’s woes precede 2014. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, “Libya has struggled to rebuild state institutions since the ouster and subsequent death of former leader Muammar al-Qaddafi in October 2011.”

Weak institutions make it difficult for governments to adequately invest in social services and help their population mitigate disaster risk. According to Leslie Mabon, lecturer in Environmental Systems at The Open University, the country’s complex politics “pose challenges for developing risk communication and hazard assessment strategies, coordinating rescue operations, and also potentially for maintenance of critical infrastructure such as dams.”

Deadly fighting between the two largest armed groups in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, in late August served as a reminder of how severe the security situation is. In 2023, humanitarians already faced barriers to delivering aid in Libya, including administrative impediments and access constraints. The disaster will likely exacerbate these issues and may result in difficulties in providing immediate aid. As in all disasters, survivors and local volunteers are the first to respond and support their community.

According to NPR, “The disaster brought a rare moment of unity, as government agencies across the country rushed to help the affected areas. While the Tobruk-based government of east Libya is leading relief efforts, the Tripoli-based western government allocated the equivalent of $412 million for reconstruction in Derna and other eastern towns, and an armed group in Tripoli sent a convoy with humanitarian aid.”

There is the potential of a health crisis emerging as a significant number of bodies remain under debris. Damage to water and sanitation infrastructure raises concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases.

The Director General of the National Centre for Disease Control said 150 cases of illness due to water contamination had been reported. The World Health Organization conducted a rapid assessment of 78 health facilities in affected areas and found that: “More than half of the facilities were reported either partially or totally non-functional due to shortage of medical supplies, medicines, equipment or staff, damaged buildings and limited accessibility.”

Libya is entering its rainy season with an increase risk of disease outbreaks.

Most migrants and refugees go through Libya on their journey towards Europe. For years, migrants and refugees have endured abuses that are well documented. On Sept. 19, IOM reported that 406 migrants had died.

In 2022, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office released a report that found many migrants in Libya are compelled to accept assisted returns to their countries of origin “in conditions that do not meet international human rights laws and standards.”

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), around 50,000 refugees and asylum-seekers are registered in Libya, including more than 1,000 who live in eastern Libya. However, UNHCR said on Sept. 26 it is aware of larger numbers of forcibly displaced people from Sudan and Syria who were not registered with UNHCR living in the affected areas.

Among the dead are at least 150 Sudanese and 23 Palestinians. Considering the pre-existing conditions these people faced, they will be particularly affected by the floods.

Damage assessments are ongoing, but the scale of the disaster means thousands of residential buildings have been damaged and become inhabitable. The disaster has displaced thousands.

Buildings in many of the disaster-affected areas were not built to withstand floods, landslides or damage from natural hazards. The 2022 REACH Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) shows that before the current floods, 11% of the respondents reported that rain leaked into their shelters, causing flooding and damage to walls.

According to IOM on Sept. 17, three schools in the west and three others in the east are hosting displaced households but these families are likely to be relocated. Most of the displaced people in the east are staying with relatives.