Survivors in Libyan city struggle to find basic necessities

Survivors in the Libyan city of Derna have struggled to find basic necessities, following deadly flooding that swept through the country earlier this month.

While many of the coastal city’s residents fled the country, others have stayed to help in the search operations, but with very limited resources.

Survivor Shoukry Mohamed said that a lot of problems remain in the town including electricity and water issues, which has left him and his family displaced.

While many of the coastal city’s residents fled the country, others have stayed to help in the search operations, but with very limited resources.

Mansour Selim, who owns three supermarkets in the city rushed in his inventory to be able to reopen and serve people.

“They want markets to be open, there is a demand on market goods now, so we did it for the people,” Said Selim.

Heavy rains triggered deadly flooding across eastern Libya earlier this month. The storm overwhelmed two dams in the first hours of Sept. 11, sending a wall of water several meters high through the centre of Derna, destroying entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

The floods inundated as much as a quarter of the city, officials have said. Thousands of people were killed, with many dead still under the rubble or at sea, according to search teams. Government officials and aid agencies have given varied death tolls ranging from about 4,000 to over 11,000.

At least 40,000 people were displaced in the area, including 30,000 in Derna, according to the U.N.’s migration agency. Many people have moved to other cities across Libya, hosted by local communities or sheltered in schools.

Local authorities said they have isolated the worst damaged part of Derna amid growing concerns about potential infection by waterborne diseases.

Health authorities have launched a vaccination campaign that initially targeted search and rescue teams along with children in Derna and other impacted areas.

African news/Jide Johnson.