A week after the floods which killed thousands of people, hope is fading of finding survivors in Derna. Some relatives of the missing now want only one thing: to find their bodies in order to bury them. This while resentment towards the authorities is spreading among the population.
2 mins
From our special correspondent in Libya,
It has been seven days since this man, the only survivor of his family, has spent hours looking at the sea that took his family away. It was filmed by a rescuer. The latter tells us that he did not even dare to approach him to speak to him.
The more time passes, the more the hope of finding survivors diminishes, admitted this Monday the Minister of Health of the eastern Libyan government, not recognized by the international community. Moreover, yesterday, the rescuers dispatched to the site by the Spanish authorities declared that they were putting an end to their search. On the other hand, efforts continue to try to find the bodies washed away by the sea. Yesterday, according to a volunteer rescuer working in the city, more than 600 bodies were recovered in front of Derna. According to a rescuer from the Egyptian team, hundreds of families found themselves trapped in their cars while trying to flee the danger.
Anger
Behind the grief and pain, the shock is today giving way to great anger among the displaced and injured people from Derna who are in Benghazi. They appeal to the Attorney General of the Republic in Tripoli. They are not only asking him to open a general investigation, but to demonstrate transparency so that those responsible are quickly brought to justice.
We also heard this anger today in Derna in the slogans of the demonstrators. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Assahaba mosque in the center of the city, to demand Aguila Saleh, the head of the Toubrouk-based parliament, to resign and to dissolve the parliament and the two governments. For these demonstrators who present themselves as “ those who remain », Politicians, accused of corruption, are seen as responsible for this catastrophe. Derna lost 20% of its inhabitants last Monday.
The demonstrators are especially angry with the city’s municipal council and the head of this council. This one was not elected, but appointed by the head of Parliament. The money dedicated to the maintenance of two dams has never been used. It must be said that Libya has been in chaos since 2011. The country not only suffers from negligence in business management, but also and above all from endemic corruption.
Read alsoFloods in Libya: disagreement between UN and Red Crescent over the death toll of 11,300 in Derna