The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Libya floods: Level of destruction is unfathomable, says UN refugee agency
As UN humanitarian responders continue their work in the worst-hit areas of Derna after two dams collapsed upstream of the coastal city of Derna, the magnitude of the disaster continues to unfold, they said on Tuesday.
“The situation on the ground is catastrophic,” said Rana Ksaifi, Assistant Chief of Mission in Libya for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
“I have been a humanitarian worker for over 19 years, and this is one of the worst disasters that I have witnessed. The level of destruction is unfathomable. I saw houses, schools, buildings, shops submerged, and some were completely destroyed and wiped out. Thousands of individuals have lost everything, not least their loved ones.”
According to the Libyan Red Crescent, over 11,000 people are reported dead so far, with a further 10,100 missing. These figures are expected to increase as clean-up operations get under way and standing water recedes.
Humanitarians remain deeply concerned about the new wave of displacement caused by the floods.
“Approximately 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered with the UNHCR in Libya, including over 1,000 who are living in the areas affected by the floods prior to the floods. Additionally, some 46,000 internally displaced persons were hosted in the eastern parts of Libya before the floods,” said Ms. Ksaifi, speaking from Benghazi to reporters in Geneva.
The needs for healthcare, mental health services and household goods for the homeless, as well as logistical support are enormous.
“The immediate needs, of course, are for safe water, hygiene kits and accommodation, including the reopening of the schools for this academic year so children can have a bit of normality back in their lives,” said Ms. Ksaifi. “Then, of course, we need to help people as they confront the deep psychological scars that this devastating storm has left them in. All of this is going to happen while the cities continue to be rebuilt for years to come.”
The UNHCR official noted that her immediate tasks included taking reception of 53 tonnes of relief items from the agency’s aid hub in the United Arab Emirates, which was due to land in Benghazi.
Echoing concern about the sheer scale of the disaster and describing the situation in Derna as “unprecedented humanitarian crisis”, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Libya, Christopher Laker, emphasized that access to the affected areas remained “fairly limited”. For the moment, the authorities have prioritized search and rescue and ultimately recovery of the dead. “Some are still under collapsed buildings. Others are still out at sea,” he told journalists via Zoom.
Mr. Laker added that 97 per cent of some neighbourhoods had been “washed away” after the dams had collapsed. He highlighted the urgent need for maintenance of Libya’s water reservoirs and dams, and said that UNDP teams would be supporting the authorities with infrastructure assessments.
UNDP has decades of crisis experience in the region and around the world to support the removal of debris and rubble, socio-economic assessments and livelihoods support while providing immediate assistance to plan solution to address the longer-term consequences of the crisis.
“While immediate relief is crucial, early recovery is equally vital, and the planning should start now,” Mr. Laker said/ “Our goal is to assist Derna and the affected cities and municipalities in recovery. Debris and rubble removal is essential for creating corridors for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, essential for restoring infrastructure, creating safe living conditions, and enabling the communities to rebuild and recover.”
Reconstruction masterplans exist for Benghazi and Derna, led by the UNDP-partnered Construction Fund for Benghazi and Derna. In the wake of the disaster, UNDP has said that it intends adapt this project to prioritize restoring damaged buildings and roads.
“The UNDP is taking steps to support the Benghazi Donor Construction fund, which has been assigned by the Government in Tripoli to act as the main conduit for assistance to support the recovery and rehabilitation efforts in response to the floods,” Mr. Laker said.
-ends-
STORY: Libya floods: Update humanitarian situation - UNHCR, UNDP
DURATION (TRT): 3’29"
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16/9
DATELINE: 19 September 2023, GENEVA SWITZERLAND
FORMAT: HYBRID PRESS BRIEFING
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley, UN Geneva
- Wide shot: speakers and attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Rana G Ksaifi, UNHCR Assistant Chief of Mission in Libya: “The situation on the ground is catastrophic. I have been a humanitarian worker for over 19 years and this is one of the worst disasters that I have witnessed. The level of destruction is unfathomable. I saw houses, schools, buildings, shops submerged and some were completely destroyed and wiped out. Thousands of individuals have lost everything, not least their loved ones.”
- Medium shot: attendees at the press conference, screen with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Rana G Ksaifi, UNHCR Assistant Chief of Mission in Libya: “Approximately 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered with the UNHCR in Libya, including over a thousand who are living in the areas affected by the floods prior to the floods. Additionally, some 46,000 internally displaced persons were hosted in the eastern parts of Libya before the floods.”
- Medium shot: sound engineer at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Rana G Ksaifi, UNHCR Assistant Chief of Mission in Libya: “The immediate needs, of course, are for safe water, hygiene kits and accommodation, including the reopening of the schools for this academic year so children can have a bit of normality back in their lives. Then, of course, we need to help people as they confront the deep psychological scars that this devastating storm has left them in. All of this is going to happen while the cities continue to be rebuilt for years to come. Today, an aircraft carrying 53 metric tons of relief items from UNHCR stockpile in the United Arab Emirates is landing in Benghazi.”
- Wide shot: attendees, cameramen/women and sound engineers at the press conference, screens with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christopher Laker, Deputy Resident Representative at UNDP Libya (speaking from Tripoli, Libya): “For now, access to the affected areas remains fairly limited as the authorities are prioritizing search and rescue and ultimately recovery of the dead. Some are still under collapsed buildings. Others are still out at sea.”
- Medium shot: attendees at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christopher Laker, Deputy Resident Representative at UNDP Libya (speaking from Tripoli, Libya): “While immediate relief is crucial, early recovery is equally vital, and the planning should start now. Our goal is to assist Derna and the affected cities and municipalities in recovery. Debris and rubble removal is essential for creating corridors for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, essential for restoring infrastructure, creating safe living conditions, and enabling the communities to rebuild and recover.”
- Medium shot: attendees at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christopher Laker, Deputy Resident Representative at UNDP Libya (speaking from Tripoli, Libya): “The UNDP is taking steps to support the Benghazi Donor Construction fund, which has been assigned by the government in Tripoli to act as the main conduit for assistance to support the recovery and rehabilitation efforts in response to the floods.”
- Close shot: attendees at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Christopher Laker, Deputy Resident Representative at UNDP Libya (speaking from Tripoli, Libya): “UNDP is already a partner to this construction fund. We signed an agreement with them in 2022, which allows us to support them in prioritizing investments and for prioritizing interventions that aim at restoring damaged buildings, damaged roads.”
- Wide shot: attendees, photographer, cameramen/women and sound engineers at the press conference, screens with speaker
- Medium shot: attendees at the press conference
- Medium shot: camerawoman and attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians, the UN Human Rights Office warned today.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNWOMEN , UNDP
Sudan: Aid teams report massive displacement after latest Darfur atrocity; women’s bodies ‘turned into battlegrounds’
In Sudan’s North Darfur, tens of thousands of people have fled a displacement camp following the massacre of civilians and aid workers as the country enters the third year of a conflict marked by horrific levels of sexual violence, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITC
Global trade could shrink by three per cent as a result of the United States’ new tariff measures which in the longer term could reshape and boost as-yet untapped regional commercial links, a top UN economist confirmed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Warring parties in Sudan are overseeing a wholesale assault on human rights amid global inaction, the UN Human Rights Office said on Friday, as the conflict is about to enter its third year.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said Israel’s increasing issuance of so-called “evacuation orders” for Palestinians in Gaza have resulted in their forcible transfer.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNHCR , UNWOMEN , WFP , WHO
Two years of war in Sudan have created epic suffering, aid agencies say
Two years since Sudan’s brutal conflict began, UN agencies warned that famine is spreading and civilians of all ages continue to suffer shocking abuse, including rape and gang rape.
1
1
Edited News | UNMAS
In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military operations and the aid blockade have continued to add to daily fears and hardships confronting those in the devastated enclave, the UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP
Dangers grow for Myanmar earthquake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed' - UNDP
In earthquake-shattered central Myanmar people are sleeping in the streets in fear of buildings collapsing, facing early monsoon rains and the risk of waterborne diseases, the UN Development Programme warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ICRC , OHCHR , UNHCR
Myanmar’s military has continued to launch airstrikes and other attacks against opposition forces in the devastated country, one week since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck and despite announcing a ceasefire, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif on Tuesday presented a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, detailing the continued violations of human rights as a result of the offensive launched by the Rwandan-backed M23 in eastern DRC.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , IFRC
UN humanitarians and partners on Tuesday expressed deep shock at the killing of 15 colleagues on duty in southern Gaza whose remains were recovered from a shallow grave after a week-long rescue operation, noting that one worker is still missing.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , OCHA , WHO , UNHCR
Myanmar earthquake latest: window for lifesaving support is closing, say UN humanitarians
As the death toll continues to rise in earthquake-struck Myanmar, UN humanitarians have been rushing to support severely deprived and traumatized victims, warning that the window for lifesaving response is closing.