The World Health Organization (WHO) said the death toll reached 4,255 people due to the floods in Derna and surrounding areas, adding that this figure could rise higher as local authorities joined by international search and emergency response teams continued to comb through the disaster areas in search of the missing persons.
WHO also explained in a statement on Thursday that 8,540 people were still missing even as search operations continued in earnest two weeks after Storm Daniel and ensuing floods ravaged Derna and its vicinity.
According to the statement, United Nations (UN) agencies reported that half of the 78 health facilities assessed in Derna and parts of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar were either partially or totally non-functioning, heightening the risk of a health crisis in the region.
“Floods also destroyed water networks and sewage pipes. Thousands of people were rendered homeless following the floods, as their homes and other structures were washed away by the raging waters.” The statement said, adding that roads and bridges were also swept away, hindering movement of aid personnel and humanitarian supplies.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday that its latest Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) had registered around 40,018 individuals who remained displaced after Storm Daniel made landfall in northeastern Libya on 11 September 2023 with some households reportedly moving back home.
