Around 30,000 people have lost their homes and many are traumatized after the flood disaster in the city of Darnah in eastern Libya. So far, close to 4,000 of the bodies that have been found have been identified. More than 9,000 people are still missing, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced over the weekend.
The enormous need for, among other things, clean water and food increases the risk of cholera, diarrhoea, dehydration and malnutrition.
Since the disaster just over a week ago, nine UN agencies have had teams in place to help survivors in and around Darnah, including the children’s aid fund UNICEF, the refugee agency UNHCR and the food program WFP.
Local representatives, aid organizations and the World Health Organization (WHO) are now warning that there is a risk of disease outbreaks, particularly due to “contaminated water and the lack of sanitation”.
“The team continues to work to prevent disease from taking hold and causing a second devastating crisis in the area,” the UN Mission in Libya (UNSmil) said in a statement.