Libya needs help - 20th September 2023

Libya's north-east was destroyed by a huge storm on 10th September, 2023. Storm Daniel brought heavy rains which flooded the city of Derna. The flood waters have killed thousands of people.

Storm Daniel brought four hundred millimetres of rain to the city in 24 hours. This is unusual for the region, where the average rain in September is just 1.5 millimetres.

But the heavy rain wasn't the only problem. During the storm, two dams, which were full of water, broke open. This sent water pouring into the city, which washed away homes, cars and people. Workers from the Turkish Red Crescent were shocked. It looked like there had been an earthquake.

The government in Derna says that more than 11,000 people have died. But this number will increase. Over 10,000 people are still missing.

In 2011, there was a revolution in Libya. Now, there's one government in the west in Tripoli, and another controls the east. This is where Derna's located. This has made it hard to get information about the situation in Derna. It's also been more difficult to send help to people there.

The prime minister has only asked for limited help. But 30,000 people have lost their homes, so more help is needed. There's also no clean water to drink in Derna. The United Nations has warned about possible disease after the flood.