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.



Netanyahu Says Israel Won't Stop Striking Hezbollah

Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Netanyahu Says Israel Won't Stop Striking Hezbollah

Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Lebanese army soldiers and residents stand in front of a damaged building in the southern suburb of Beirut following an Israeli raid, in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 September 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel is striking Lebanon’s Hezbollah “with full force” and won’t stop until its goals are achieved.

Netanyahu spoke as he landed in New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly meeting and as US, European and some Arab officials were pressing for a 21-day halt in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah to give time for negotiations.

Netanyahu said Israel’s “policy is clear. We are continuing to strike Hezbollah with full force. And we will not stop until we reach all our goals, chief among them the return of the residents of the north securely to their homes.”

He added that he approved the “targeted killing operation” of the head of Hezbollah’s drone unit in south Beirut Thursday.

Israel has dramatically escalated strikes in Lebanon this week, saying it is targeting Hezbollah. Israeli leaders have said they are determined to stop more than 11 months of cross-border fire by the group into Israel, which has forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis from communities in the north.