Libya: government announces arrival of relief aircraft from 24 countries

The Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli announced yesterday that 59 aircraft carrying humanitarian aid have arrived in Libya from 24 countries. The aid is to help those affected by the devastating floods that swept through eastern Libya on 10 September leaving thousands of people dead and missing.

Storm Daniel hit several areas in eastern Libya, most notably the cities of Benghazi, Al-Bayda, Al-Marj, and Sousse, in addition to Derna, which was the most affected. Two dams outside Derna collapsed, causing huge destruction in the city.

READ: What caused the floods in Libya and why are they so bad?

“More than 150 tonnes of humanitarian relief were delivered to Libya by the Turkish Red Crescent Society,” said official sources. “Saudi Arabia is sending its fifth aircraft to Libya, carrying 90 tonnes of food and shelters. Kuwait’s seventh relief aircraft carried 10 tonnes of relief materials and an ambulance.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on 16 September that more than 11,000 people were killed and about 10,000 others were missing in the floods.

For the tenth day, Libyan and international rescue teams continued their efforts to find missing persons and recover bodies. “However, there are dwindling hopes of finding survivors,” a Libyan security official told Anadolu on Wednesday.

OPINION: Western media is one-eyed when it comes to the Derna tragedy