Catastrophic situation in Libya after storms ++ Thousands feared dead ++ Turkey sends aid Kremlin candidates lead in regional elections in Russia

After devastating storms in civil war-torn Libya, experts are calling for swift international aid. Turkey has now organized the dispatch of rescue workers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on the online platform X (formerly Twitter) that flights had been organized with rescue teams including rescue boats, tents and supplies on board. The port city of Derna in particular was hit hard by the storm “Daniel”. Video on social media showed destroyed houses and cars on streets covered in mud due to the heavy rainfall.

There was initially no verifiable information on fatalities. However, the government in the east of the country fears thousands of deaths. The prime minister of one of the civil war country’s rival governments, Osama Hammad, told Al-Massar television on Monday that more than 2,000 people were feared dead. Thousands more people in the country with almost seven million inhabitants are missing. Storm “Daniel” hit Libya on Sunday.

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Libya, Georgette Gagnon, called on the international community to provide rapid assistance. The first reports show that dozens of villages and towns have been severely affected, Gagnon writes on platform X. According to the emergency services, the northeast is particularly affected.

The government in the capital Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbaiba spoke of the heaviest rainfall in more than forty years. According to the municipal council, the situation in Derna had “gotten out of hand”. It is said that two dams have burst there. According to the emergency service, the rescue measures were difficult. They depend on helicopter support. Power and internet connection are interrupted. The affected regions were declared ‘disaster areas’.

Civil war broke out in Libya in 2011 after the fall of former ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi. Numerous militias are still fighting for influence in the oil-rich state in North Africa. Two hostile governments, each with one seat in the east and one in the west, are currently vying for power. All diplomatic attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully have so far failed. The conflict is further fueled by foreign states. (sda/dpa)