Days before flooding decimated his city, Derna poet Mustafa al-Trabelsi penned a poem called The Rain.
“The rain / exposes the drenched streets, the cheating contractor, and the failed state,” al-Trabelsi wrote. “[It] reminds the poor of their fragile roofs and ragged clothes ... The rain, a sign of goodness, a promise of help, an alarm bell.”
The poet was among thousands of people – perhaps tens of thousands – who died in the resulting tragedy in the Libyan port city, after two dams failed and entire families and neighbourhoods were wiped out by water that included a seven-metre high wave. The real death toll – in both Derna and other areas affected by the floods – may never be known.
Since news of the tragedy swept across the North African country’s long-suffering citizens, and its far-flung diaspora, there have been large fundraising efforts and appeals online for trained rescue workers; for translators; for psychologists and psychiatrists for severely traumatised survivors; and for divers with equipment who can deploy to the region quickly.
There have also been desperate calls for more attention to be turned towards a country that has had seemingly endless crises over the last 12 years.
“I need your help not to forget this. I need your help not to let this one go,” said UK-based Libyan film director Tariq Elmeri, tears in his eyes, in a video he posted online on Wednesday. “It’s a real struggle to tell this story. Us Libyans are not used to telling our story.”
As pleas and outpourings of grief have spread, so has fury.
“This is a huge wake-up call about the consequences of having corrupt governments, unaccountable governments,” Benghazi-born Libya expert Aya Burweila told The Irish Times through WhatsApp voice memos. “People are very, very angry. This is a tragedy of unprecedented proportions. This is a natural disaster but also a man-made disaster ... My bottom line is that corruption kills.”
“It’s symptomatic of how our country, despite being oil-rich, suffers unspeakable tragedies and calamities because of corruption and lack of good governance,” she added.
Eastern Libya has long been neglected in terms of infrastructure, even under former dictator Muammar Gadafy, Burweila explained. She feels particular sympathy for Derna’s population given their history: the city of roughly 100,000 people had already witnessed significant conflict and was at one point even controlled by the Islamic State, she recalled.
“These are people who had to watch their sons being beheaded in the public square,” said Burweila. “And they were recovering from that and they were back on track, rebuilding their lives, after getting rid of two terrorist organisations in their city.”
Though its territory is split between rival governments and fearsome militias, this week’s tragedy has united Libyans nationwide. A CNN reporter described seeing cars carrying volunteers, or bringing in aid, driving towards Derna from many different directions, some of which were flying flags or had spray-painted phrases on their vehicles which translated as “brotherly solidarity” or “rushing to the aid of our brothers”.
International aid workers say the latest tragedy in Libya has also underlined something significant about the global climate crisis: how it destroys the places least able to cope – those already vulnerable because of corruption, poor infrastructure and mismanagement, or for other reasons.
“Before the devastating flooding, Libya was already grappling with the consequences of prolonged conflict and crisis, leaving approximately 800,000 people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance,” said Elie Abouaoun, Libya country director for the International Rescue Committee, in a statement to The Irish Times.
“Storm Daniel shows that the worsening impacts of climate change can perfectly target weak points to cause great damage. And it is often the most vulnerable people – at risk of their homes, livelihoods, and health – who are on the front lines.”
[ The Irish Times view on Libya: Man-made errors amplify a natural disasterOpens in new window ]
The catastrophic flooding came days after another ruinous tragedy in North Africa: the earthquake in Morocco, which killed at least 2,900 people.
As a result, in some cases, the Libyan and Moroccan diaspora are now uniting. This Sunday, for example, London’s Arab British Centre will hold a “grief and solidarity circle for Libyans, Moroccans, and friends”, which may include readings, prayers, and “simple breathing” practices.
Physical recovery and the reconstruction needed as a result of both disasters will take years. Survivors will – undoubtedly – be affected for a lifetime.
