Storm Daniel” that swept through the eastern region of Libya, yesterday (Sunday), was a painful humanitarian catastrophe unprecedented in the country for 4 centuries. Rescue operations are extremely difficult due to the absence of a unified government in the country, and the state of liquidity and chaos common due to the political conflicts raging since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. The storm (Daniel) struck the cities of Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Sousse, Sirte, and Derna, leaving more than 2,000 dead, according to the Libyan Minister of Health (Othman Abdel Jalil), in the government of Osama Hammad appointed by Parliament last May.
Media appearance…and previous storms and disasters
Officials in the governments of Osama Hammad, the Interim National Unity headed by Abdul Hamid al-Dabaiba (before her exclusion by the House of Representatives), and the Libyan National Army took turns appearing in the media, announcing only (without a realistic presence) the storm and the killing, displacement and destruction it caused, while noting the actions of each of them. To heal the repercussions of the storm, follow up on rescue operations, and provide aid to those affected. Libya is characterized by a predominantly desert climate, dominated by drought, with the exception of the coastal areas overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and it witnesses little rainfall. Despite this, storms, heavy rains, and landslides strike it at frequent intervals, and sometimes cause severe damage.
Libya witnessed many storms that struck it…such as in 1945 and 1973. Heavy rains fell for the first time on the city of Tripoli, resulting in the demolition of some of its old buildings, and the eastern region (currently afflicted), and bridges and dams collapsed, causing human losses. And serious materialism. Hurricane Clouds also swept it in 1995, which was the worst, as the wind speed reached 185 km/hour, causing huge losses and severe destruction to oil facilities, residential and agricultural areas, and the same thing was repeated in the Derna region in 2018… However, no data is available. Documented deaths and injuries sustained in these previous disasters.
