The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has used satellite data and open-source information to assess the damage caused by Storm Daniel in eastern Libya. The storm left around 25 million tons of debris after heavy flooding.
The UNDP said in a statement on Thursday that the disaster affected a quarter of a million people in eastern Libyan cities. It said the storm created serious humanitarian challenges, with road networks cut off and citizens’ relief and resource needs rising.
The latest statistics published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on October 17th estimated that the storm caused 4,300 deaths, with around 8,500 others missing and 40,000 displaced.
UNDP specialists used satellite images and open-source data to make a preliminary assessment of the damage caused by the storm. They also used a geographic information system interface to track changes detected by satellite images.
The analysis focused on seven of the most affected areas of the storm. It revealed that about 10,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged by the storm, with nearly 250 km of roads damaged.
Al Bayda City and Sousse more vulnerable to future disasters
In Al Bayda, 125 buildings were destroyed and 130 others damaged, with an estimated 404,000 tons of debris. It is worrying that nearly nine thousand buildings in the city have been damaged. This doubles the city’s vulnerability to further flooding.
The coastal city of Sousse also bears the brunt of the crisis, with nearly 80% of the city’s buildings damaged or destroyed, representing an estimated five million tons of debris.
A vital bridge was damaged, disrupting the flow of essential goods and services. The impact of the floods extends to structures related to mining and extraction, an industrial factory, and two sports and recreational facilities.
Each of the other sites, Marj, Shahat, and Tameemi, bears unique patterns of damage caused by flooding. However, they all agree on one vital point, which is the urgent need for comprehensive humanitarian and reconstruction efforts to address the widespread destruction, according to the United Nations.
Assessment of urgent needs in affected areas
Regarding the urgent needs in the affected areas, the statement explained that in residential areas such as Derna, the immediate focus should be on providing housing and shelter services.
In areas dominated by agricultural land such as Marj, prioritizing agricultural infrastructure becomes more urgent, which is essential to restore food production and livelihoods, while multi-use areas such as Benghazi require a multifaceted approach.
The statement emphasizes that “understanding the economic and environmental impacts in different areas can help in developing targeted recovery and environmental restoration plans.”