Libya’s Flood-Hit Derna to Host Reconstruction Conference

 A view shows destroyed buildings in the aftermath of the the deadly storm that hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 21, 2023. (Reuters)
A view shows destroyed buildings in the aftermath of the the deadly storm that hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 21, 2023. (Reuters)
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Libya’s Flood-Hit Derna to Host Reconstruction Conference

 A view shows destroyed buildings in the aftermath of the the deadly storm that hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 21, 2023. (Reuters)
A view shows destroyed buildings in the aftermath of the the deadly storm that hit Libya, in Derna, Libya September 21, 2023. (Reuters)

Libya's eastern-based administration said on Friday that it would host an international conference next month in the flood-hit port city of Derna to aid reconstruction efforts.

A tsunami-sized flash flood broke through two ageing dams upstream from Derna after a hurricane-strength storm lashed the area on September 10, razing entire neighborhoods and sweeping thousands of people into the sea.

"The government invites the international community to participate in the conference planned for October 10 in Derna to present modern, rapid projects for the reconstruction of the city," the administration said in a statement.

It said the conference was being held in "response to the demands of residents of the stricken city of Derna and other towns that suffered damage" during the flooding.

Wracked by divisions since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed veteran ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi, Libya has for years been ruled by two administrations vying for power.

The Government of National (GNU) in Tripoli is headed by Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, while a rival administration in the east is backed by Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar.

The official death toll from the flood stands at more than 3,300 -- but the eventual count is expected to be far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people missing.

Over 40,000 displaced

The International Organization for Migration on Thursday said more than 43,000 people have been displaced by the flood.

It said a "lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna" to other areas.

The dams that burst had developed cracks as far back as the 1990s, Libya's top prosecutor has said, as residents accused authorities of negligence.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said in a report issued on Tuesday that a deluge of the magnitude seen during Storm Daniel in northeastern Libya was an event that occurred once every 300-600 years.

They found the rains were both more likely and heavier because of human-caused global warming, with up to 50 percent more rain during the period.



Al-Sudani to Bring ‘Black Box’ to Tehran

A handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office on January 2, 2025, shows Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during the inauguration ceremony of the fourth and fifth units at the oil refinery of Baiji. (Photo by IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS OFFICE / AFP)
A handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office on January 2, 2025, shows Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during the inauguration ceremony of the fourth and fifth units at the oil refinery of Baiji. (Photo by IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS OFFICE / AFP)
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Al-Sudani to Bring ‘Black Box’ to Tehran

A handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office on January 2, 2025, shows Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during the inauguration ceremony of the fourth and fifth units at the oil refinery of Baiji. (Photo by IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS OFFICE / AFP)
A handout picture released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's Media Office on January 2, 2025, shows Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during the inauguration ceremony of the fourth and fifth units at the oil refinery of Baiji. (Photo by IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS OFFICE / AFP)

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has postponed his visit to Iran until next week.

Sources say he will discuss key regional and internal issues, including the disbanding of Iran-backed militias in Iraq, and may deliver “strong warnings” from the US about restricting weapons to state control.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the visit aims to strengthen ties and discuss regional developments. Al-Sudani will hold talks with top Iranian officials during his trip.

The Iraqi government has not confirmed or denied the reports, but concerns are rising in both Iraq and Iran.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has recently addressed issues related to the “Axis of Resistance” following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Unconfirmed reports in Baghdad say Iraq received a “warning” from US President-elect Donald Trump.

Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, revealed some details on Thursday. The message, which marked a shift in US policy, may have been delivered by a secret envoy or through a phone call from Trump.

Al-Hakim, a prominent figure in the Shiite Coordination Framework, confirmed that the US administration is targeting certain Iraqi armed factions.

However, he stressed that the incoming Trump administration has no intention of overthrowing the Iranian regime or destabilizing the political system in Iraq.

“A decision will be made against the factions... This is what we’ve heard from the US and some groups in the Coordination Framework with armed factions,” said al-Hakim at a gathering in Najaf, south of Baghdad.

“This is not aimed at the Coordination Framework as a political force but at Iran-backed armed factions like Kataib Hezbollah and al-Nujaba,” he clarified.

On rumors of a political change in Iraq, al-Hakim said: “This is circulating on social media, but I haven’t heard it from international or regional politicians or in talks with official delegations after the events in Syria.”

Al-Hakim also reassured that there is an “international will” to avoid targeting Iraq’s political system.

“The goal is to maintain Iraq’s stability because chaos there would disrupt regional security, which neighboring countries reject. The current system is expected to remain,” he affirmed.

With al-Hakim’s reassurance about the political system staying intact but without armed factions, all eyes are on al-Sudani’s upcoming visit to Tehran.

He is expected to carry a “black box” discussing the disbanding of militias. While the decision to limit weapons to the state is Iraqi, many militias are ideologically tied to Iran, which calls for direct talks with Tehran.