Dam collapses deepen flood disaster in Libya, thousands missing
Severe flooding in Libya, triggered by heavy rainfall and worsened by the collapse of two dams in Derna, has left thousands feared dead and missing, according to aid agencies. Tamer Ramadan, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies delegation in Libya, indicated that the death toll could reach thousands, with 10,000 people unaccounted for, based on reports from the Libyan Red Crescent. The flooding, mainly affecting the northeast of Libya, caused rivers to overflow, destroying homes and infrastructure.
The collapse of the dams in Derna compounded the disaster, unleashing a torrent of water that engulfed the city and washed away entire neighborhoods, as reported by Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for the Libyan National Army. Libya's longstanding division between a government in Tripoli and another in the east, including Derna, has complicated coordination of rescue efforts. The western government's ambulance and emergency services department reported over 2,300 deaths and more than 5,000 missing individuals.
Meanwhile, authorities in the east stated that they had recovered over 1,000 bodies so far, with al-Mismari suggesting that the death toll in Derna alone might exceed 2,000, while the number of missing persons could rise significantly due to the challenging rescue and aid operations.
International assistance efforts were underway, with the United States and other organizations working to evaluate how best to provide support. Shipments of supplies and medical teams were dispatched to the affected region, and Turkish rescue teams also arrived to aid in the efforts.
Communication difficulties arose due to the collapse of phone networks, leaving many unable to check on the well-being of their loved ones. The devastating flooding in Libya is part of a larger weather front that also caused severe flooding in Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria before reaching Libya and continuing on to Egypt.
Libya's vulnerability to climate change, including rising sea levels and more intense storms, heightens the risk of such disasters, particularly in low-lying coastal areas. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt pledged immediate assistance and humanitarian aid to Libya, recognizing the urgency of the situation.
大坝坍塌加重了利比亚的洪水灾害，数千人失踪
利比亚遭受了大规模洪灾的袭击，由暴雨引发，两座位于德尔纳的水坝坍塌进一步恶化了灾难，导致了重大伤亡。根据救援机构的报告，国际红十字会与红新月会联合会代表团在利比亚的团长塔默·拉马丹表示，死亡人数可能会达到数千人，根据利比亚红新月会的报告，目前已经有1万人失踪。洪水主要影响了利比亚东北部，河流溢出，摧毁了房屋和基础设施。
位于德尔纳的两座水坝的坍塌加剧了灾难，释放出一股洪水，淹没了整个城市，冲走了整个社区，利比亚国民军发言人艾哈迈德·阿尔-米斯马里在报告中提到了这一情况。利比亚长期以来一直分为位于的黎波里的政府和位于东部的另一个政府，包括德尔纳，这加大了救援工作的协调难度。西部政府的救护车和紧急服务部门报告称，已有超过2,300人死亡，5,000多人失踪。
与此同时，东部当局表示他们已经找到了超过1,000具尸体，阿尔-米斯马里表示，德尔纳的死亡人数可能会超过2,000人，而由于救援和援助行动的复杂性，失踪人数可能会大幅上升。
国际援助工作正在进行中，美国和其他组织正在评估如何最好地提供支持。物资和医疗团队已被派往受灾地区，土耳其的救援队也已到达，协助救援工作。
由于电话网络的崩溃，人们无法与家人和亲人联系，这导致了沟通困难。利比亚的洪水灾害是一股较大气象系统的一部分，在抵达利比亚之前曾在希腊、土耳其和保加利亚引发了严重洪水。
利比亚对气候变化尤为脆弱，包括上升的海平面和更加强烈的风暴，这增加了这类灾难的风险，特别是在低洼的沿海地区。埃及总统阿卜杜勒·菲塔赫·埃尔-西西承诺立即向利比亚提供援助和人道主义援助，认识到了这一紧急情况的重要性。
Alice Tao 报道
