The Commander of the United States (US) Africa Command (AFRICOM) General, Michael Langley, and Special Envoy for Libya, Richard Norland, have arrived in Tripoli for a series of engagements with Libyan military and political leaders.
The US embassy on X platform said Norland and Langley had reiterated that they stood with the Libyan people at this difficult time and supported their calls for national unity in the wake of Storm Daniel and ensuing floods’ tragedy.
The US embassy added that USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance delivered on Wednesday critical supplies to Benghazi supporting Libyan flood relief efforts.
“We will continue working with Libyan and international partners to provide funding, critical supplies, and experts to help those most in need.” The US embassy added.
The White House said in a statement on Tuesday that the US would provide an additional $11 million to local and international organizations responding to their urgent humanitarian needs, as the people of eastern Libya continued to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of catastrophic flooding.
The Department of State and USAID would help coordinate the delivery of the aid to the people who needed it most, joining the concerted efforts of nations and non-profits around the world providing critical support such as water, food, shelter, and medical assistance.
“And—as the United States continues to stand with the Libyan people during this difficult hour—we remain committed to supporting a political path toward a unified, freely and fairly elected government in Libya that can effectively respond to its people’s needs.” The statement added.
Storm Daniel and ensuing floods hit eastern coastal cities, especially Derna, Al-Bayda and Al-Marj, on September 10 and 11. Two dams collapsed in Derna valley – an area locally known as Wadi Derna -, washing away entire neighborhoods and killing a number of entire families. The flood torrent obliterated around a quarter or the Mediterranean city of Derna.
The full scale of the death toll has yet to emerge and officials have given widely varying death tolls. The World Health Organization has confirmed 3,922 deaths.
