Libya’s flood victims in Derna are out of the spotlight

Not a month had passed after the disastrous floods in Derna and the cities and villages of eastern Libya before the world’s attention faded away. Other issues have arisen and the media spotlight has turned elsewhere. The flooding in Libya has been shunted down the priority list for politicians and the media.

When disasters and tragedies happen more often, people become immune and their empathy fades. The old saying that only those caught in the fire can feel its heat rings true. However, officials have no excuses, especially when their role is to help those affected and ease their suffering, regardless of the magnitude and complexity of the problem. If not, they should resign and let someone else take over who can bear the responsibility.

The repercussions of the floods are ongoing, with three pressing issues for decision-makers to deal with: the search for missing persons; sheltering displaced individuals and providing basic needs to those affected; and reconstruction or repair of what has been destroyed by the storm and floods.

Given their performance to date, Libya’s local and central authorities are failing to address these matters. The gap between the official numbers of victims and those missing in the city of Derna is huge; there may be 10,000 missing persons, and the search and recovery operation is not helping in this respect. We may never know the real number of victims.

READ: WHO: Hurricane deaths in Libya have reached 4,333

The same applies to the provision of basic essentials for up to 40,000 displaced persons. Emergency assistance is still far below the required level. The suffering and lack of basic needs is going to be prolonged.

The biggest challenge is what is generally being called the “reconstruction” of the affected areas, the first of which is Derna. There was massive destruction of public and private buildings, roads, bridges and dams. The flooding exposed major weaknesses and construction flaws that must be avoided when repairs are carried out.

The people fear that they will face the kind of neglect that those affected by the wars since 2011 have faced. Even if the city overcomes this neglect and remains a priority for decision-makers, it could fall into the void created by political tension and hasty actions that are not fit for purpose.

I believe that reconstruction is beyond the capabilities of the current authorities. It is a broad concept that goes beyond building and construction work, extending to economic, social and even cultural development. It requires political and administrative stability, sufficient resources, a strong strategy and effective institutions, all of which are missing given the circumstances that Libya is experiencing today.

READ: Libya Parliament passes law for rebuilding flood-hit areas

Initial signs indicate that the Libyan government appointed by parliament, headed by Osama Hammad, wants to dominate the “reconstruction” file. It was quick to call for an international conference in this regard, but if it insists on proceeding with this step alone, it may face pushback and limited interaction because it is not internationally recognised.

The option for this government will be to rely on Egyptian companies for residential buildings and infrastructure such as schools, health facilities and suchlike, in the hope that the Central Bank will provide it with the necessary funding. However, the work will be limited, and it may also face challenges related to the political situation, including the possibility of agreeing to change the government, or the conflict developing in a way that deprives it of the necessary funding.

Hence, it is expected that the Derna rehabilitation file will depend on the political situation, and the suffering will be prolonged if the conflict continues. The Libyan parties will not succeed in separating economic, social and humanitarian issues from their conflicts; they will be kept within their circles and arenas.

The way out begins with organised and strong efforts from within the city that includes a local consensus on a single Derna body in which all the city’s skills, resources and people are engaged as a pressure group to push officials to act appropriately. It must also play a role in assessing and identifying the needs, participating in developing a serious strategy for rehabilitating the city structurally, economically, socially, and culturally, and contributing to supervising its implementation.

READ: UN Libya envoy urges unified Derna flood response

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.