Mediterranean storm Daniel caused major destruction in multiple Libyan coastal cities over the weekend. Ahmed al-Mosmari, a spokesperson for Commander Khalifa Hifter, stated the death toll in the city of Derna has surpassed 2,000. This figure, corroborated by east Libyan Prime Minister Ossama Hamad, greatly overshadows a confirmed death toll of 61 that does not include Derna.
Videos from Derna residents show multiple collapsed buildings after two upstream dams burst during the flooding. IS-affiliated militants occupied Derna for years before east Libyan forces expelled them in 2018. Years of conflict have left the city’s infrastructure in relatively worse conditions than the rest of Libya. Military and aid organizations have lost contact with representatives sent to Derna, and the Libyan Red Crescent has confirmed the floods killed three of its workers in the city. Derna remains inaccessible and Ossama Hamad declared it a disaster zone. Multiple sources are reporting that as many as 5,000 to 6,000 residents are currently missing.
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