Libya is a fascinating country located in North Africa. The vast majority of its territory is covered by the Sahara Desert, yet the people of Libya primarily reside in the de facto capital city of Tripoli, also known as Arbulus, and the significant city of Benghazi, also known as Banghz.
These two cities are located along the coast and in the nearby hinterland, and they serve as the economic and cultural hubs of the country. Despite its desert landscape, Libya is a nation full of rich history and a vibrant culture.
Keep reading to learn all the recent updates on Libya.
Uprising in Libya?
On February 15, 2011, protesters in Benghazi took over the streets to express their outrage over the arrest of Fethi Tarbel, a human rights attorney.
The protesters demanded the resignation of Qaddafi and the immediate release of political prisoners.
Unfortunately, the peaceful demonstrations were met with brutal force by Libyan security forces, who used water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.
Several people were injured, and there were reports of casualties. To counter the protests, the Libyan government organized a pro-government gathering, which was broadcast on state media. Despite the violence, the protesters remained determined to fight for their rights and freedom.
What happened to Libya?
Storm Daniel’s severe flooding has had a disastrous effect on eastern Libya, leaving a path of damage that will be hard to rebuild in the middle of the nation’s political unrest.
Ten thousand people are still missing, and an estimated 3,000 have died, raising fears that the death toll may grow quickly.
Death Count till now in Libya?
The eastern government reported that as of Tuesday, 3,000 people had died, with a further 10,000 individuals believed to be missing.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that there were about 10,000 people still missing. According to the Libyan Red Crescent, 2,084 people have passed away.
Due to unsecured road access, a lack of internet connectivity, and a lack of power, Derna continues to be entirely shut off.
What precisely took place?
Storm Daniel’s heavy rains rapidly caused severe flooding in many places in eastern Libya, which is under the control of a separate administration.
Benghazi, Susa, Bayda, and al-Marj were among the cities that were affected by the storm on Sunday and Monday, but Derna, a port city, took the brunt of it.
On Monday, two dams upstream of the city collapsed one after another, releasing enormous amounts of water that rushed down the valley and swamped the region, demolishing bridges and highways in the process.
Due to the city’s mountainous surroundings, flash floods immediately took hold, and water levels rose as high as 3 meters.
What challenges may there be and what are they?
Flooding of such a magnitude that is confined to a valley harnessed the force of the water to seriously damage infrastructure.
The roads leading to Derna are largely inaccessible, and a beachfront bridge has been destroyed by flooding.
This would be a problem in any nation, but Libya has a special problem since the country hasn’t seen long-term stability since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011, which sparked a civil war that hasn’t shown any indications of ending.
Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah is in charge of the Tripoli-based, globally renowned government in the west of the nation.
Another government overseeing the disaster-stricken east is headed by the House of Representatives, which is situated in Benghazi.
The infrastructure of the oil-rich nation has been harmed as a result of their dispute.
The country’s national bank, which is in charge of distributing money around the nation, has received help requests from the eastern officials, only recognizes the western administration.
The Tripoli administration has stated that it will utilize the assets at its service to assist impacted communities, suggesting that the two parties are willing to put aside their political and military disputes.
Cooperation to recover from this disaster is likely to be hampered by issues including how much money has to be distributed to which government agencies, how the money will be used, and who will be in charge of overseeing.
What comes after?
The challenging task of providing urgent aid to impacted communities will likely last for days if not weeks. Othman Abduljaleel, the health minister for Libya, said that many more dead are still buried beneath the debris in the neighborhoods of Derna or have been carried out to sea.
He was cited by the state-run media as adding, “An international intervention is required.”Many international nations have expressed their sympathy and support for Libya.
Algeria, Tunisia, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries who declared they were prepared to deploy people and humanitarian aid to assist with search and rescue operations.
Emergency responders, including government employees, members of the armed forces, volunteers, and locals, have so far been sifting through the debris to find the dead and save the living.
Authorities have sent heavy machinery, including excavators, but it is still difficult to enter severely damaged places.
On Tuesday, Dbeibah declared that an aircraft transporting relief to Benghazi was taking off with fourteen thousand pounds of supplies, medications, equipment, and medical professionals.
