UN launches $71 million urgent appeal for Libya flood victims

The United Nations is in an urgent quest for more than $71 million to provide crucial assistance to those in dire need following the devastating flash floods that ravaged Libya over the weekend.

A formidable tempest, Hurricane-strength Storm Daniel, lashed Libya on September 10, inflicting a grim toll, with at least 4,000 lives tragically lost, and numerous individuals still unaccounted for.

In a swift response, the United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA, launched a flash appeal on Thursday, foreseeing an ominous escalation in the disaster's aftermath.

Derna, a city that bore the brunt of the catastrophe, now stands as a desolate wasteland in the wake of the rupturing of two dams upstream on that fateful Sunday.

OCHA's assessments reveal that an alarming 30 percent of Derna may have been swallowed by the floods, with the majority of roads rendered impassable. Local authorities have urgently called for the establishment of a maritime corridor to facilitate relief efforts and evacuations.

The coastal enclave of Sousse, in the meantime, remains submerged, compounding the misery of the affected populations.

Describing the situation as "catastrophic," OCHA has underscored the need for $71.4 million to address the "most pressing needs of 250,000 individuals, out of an estimated 884,000 people requiring assistance."

On a positive note, on Wednesday, the head of UN OCHA, Martin Griffiths, announced an immediate emergency fund allocation of $10 million. He expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, "Entire neighborhoods have been erased from existence. Entire families, caught off guard, were swept away in the torrent of water."

He emphasized the paramount importance of delivering life-saving supplies, averting a potential secondary health crisis, and expeditiously restoring a semblance of normalcy in Libya during these trying times.

In addition to the United Nations' efforts, various nations, including the United States, European Union, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and others, have already dispatched or pledged aid. Foreign search and rescue teams have also been mobilized to locate survivors and retrieve the deceased, as the international community rallies to alleviate the immense suffering wrought by this calamity.