Libyan city of Derna is declared a disaster zone after devastating flooding

Ossama Hamad, the prime minister of the Libyan parliament-backed government, has declared Derna a disaster zone after heavy rainfall and floods destroyed much of the city.

The prime minister also announced Monday a three-day of mourning and ordered flags across the country to be lowered to half-mast.

Derna’s Municipal Council said it “lost control” of the disastrous situation in the city, and appealed for “an international intervention.”

Footage posted by locals on social media showed extreme flooding in the city as the heavy rainstorm increased the water levels of the city’s waterfalls. Other images showed parts of the roads to the city collapsed by the floods.

Mediterranean Storm Daniel unleashed extreme floods across the eastern coastal line of Libya yesterday. A Libyan official told AFP that 150 people died so far on the backdrop of the storm.

The Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, designated flooded cities in eastern Libya as disaster areas. Meanwhile, the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by General Commander Khalifa Haftar, sent troops to support the Libyan Red Crescent and the Ambulance and Emergency Service in their search and rescue operations.

Earlier, the Libyan High Council of State said it was following with great concern what is happening in Libya in general and in the eastern regions, especially the weather fluctuations and torrential rains that caused damage to lives and property.

The subtropical storm is part of a series of powerful storms wreaking havoc worldwide as the global climate crisis starts to enter an acute phase.

Libyan authorities took precautionary measures, closing schools and stores, imposing a 24-hour curfew on September 10 and closing four oil ports. The National Meteorological Center also warned of weather fluctuations affecting the northeastern regions of Libya, accompanied by strong winds in most areas, exceeding speeds of 70 kilometers per hour at times.