Libyan authorities have made an urgent decision to fully evacuate the city of Derna, including media representatives, starting from 12 PM today local time. The aim is to allow relief teams to operate more comfortably and effectively. A source from the war media mentioned that there is a determination to keep relief teams and foreign personnel on-site. The source pointed out that Libyan rescue teams cannot perform their tasks alone due to a lack of available resources to retrieve bodies and clear debris.
Journalists were also ordered today to leave the city of Derna, which has been ravaged by floods and heavy rainfall. In a statement to Reuters, the Libyan Minister of Civil Aviation for the Eastern Government, Hisham Abu Shkiwat, stated that "the decision for journalists to leave is not related to the protests that occurred there last night." He added, "The issue is organizational, aimed at creating conditions for rescue teams to work more smoothly and effectively," noting that "the large number of journalists has become confusing for them."
The United Nations reported that Libyan authorities refused the entry of a team from the international organization that was scheduled to head to Derna today to help address the effects of the worst natural disaster in the country's history. A spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Najwa Maki, stated, "We can confirm that search and rescue teams, medical emergency personnel, and UN colleagues already inside Derna are continuing to work... However, a UN team scheduled to go to Derna from Benghazi today was denied access." Maki also called for "unimpeded access for teams."
Additionally, a UN relief office reported today that hospitals have indicated approximately 400 migrants have died in the floods that impacted eastern Libya last week. The World Health Organization noted that hospitals have recorded 4,000 deaths in Libya so far, including 400 migrants. Thousands of migrants from Africa and the Middle East live temporarily in Libya, with many attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea yearly in perilous journeys to escape poverty and conflict. The International Organization for Migration previously stated that over 100,000 migrants reside in the flood-affected areas, with more than 8,000 in Derna, the majority coming from Chad, Egypt, and Sudan.
Angry protests erupted in Libya following the consequences of the worst natural disaster the country has ever faced, as demonstrators frustrated with the authorities' failure to protect their city from floods set fire to the home of the mayor of Derna. The administration responsible for Eastern Libya announced that it has suspended the mayor from his duties and dismissed all members of the Derna municipal council after angry protesters called for punishment for those responsible for leaving residents vulnerable.
The protests that took place yesterday marked the first unrest in the city since the floods swept through, resulting in thousands of deaths and many others missing. Communications with Derna were abruptly cut off this morning following the protests.
