Parliament-appointed government in Libya sacks all members of Derna municipal council after floods

A man watches the destruction of the Sahaba Bazaar after the floods in Derna, Libya on September 18, 2023 [Halil Fidan/Anadolu Agency]

The Libyan House of Representatives-appointed government has dismissed all members of the municipal council of the Derna city, where many people were killed in recent floods, Anadolu Agency reports.

The decision was taken late Monday by Osama Hamad, the head of Libya’s eastern government, as demonstrations in Derna demanded accountability after floods wreaked havoc in the city.

Derna was hardest hit by deadly flooding caused by Mediterranean Storm Daniel on 10 September, causing the city’s dams to burst, washing away homes and people.

READ: UN warns of spread of disease in Libya’s storm-hit Derna

According to the UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA), at least 3,958 people have died across Libya due to flooding, revising its previous death toll of 11,300.

On Saturday, Hamad said that 3,252 victims had been laid to rest, so far.

More than 40,000 people have been displaced across Libya’s north-eastern areas by the deadly floods, the UN office said.

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