Libya’s Eastern Govt Holds Conference on Reconstruction of Coastal City Destroyed by Floods

A general view shows destruction left by floods after the Mediterranean storm "Daniel" hit Libya's eastern city of Derna, on September 14, 2023. (AFP)
A general view shows destruction left by floods after the Mediterranean storm "Daniel" hit Libya's eastern city of Derna, on September 14, 2023. (AFP)
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Libya’s Eastern Govt Holds Conference on Reconstruction of Coastal City Destroyed by Floods

A general view shows destruction left by floods after the Mediterranean storm "Daniel" hit Libya's eastern city of Derna, on September 14, 2023. (AFP)
A general view shows destruction left by floods after the Mediterranean storm "Daniel" hit Libya's eastern city of Derna, on September 14, 2023. (AFP)

An international conference on reconstruction of one of Libya’s coastal cities, decimated in a fatal flood in September, began Wednesday, one of Libya's rival governments announced.

In the early hours of Sept. 11, two dilapidated dams in the mountains above the eastern city of Derna collapsed, sending floodwaters roaring down the Wadi Derna river and through the city center, sweeping away entire city blocks. Government officials and aid agencies have given estimated death tolls ranging from more than 4,000 to over 11,000.

The two-day conference marks a tentative step toward the rebuilding of the city, with a total of 400 participants convening in Derna on Wednesday and in Benghazi on Thursday, Libya's eastern government said.

Most of the attendees are representatives from international delegations or companies specializing in infrastructure development and housing, the government said in an online statement.

The oil rich country has been divided between rival governments in its east and west for almost a decade, and has been mired in chaos since longtime ruler Moammar al-Gadhafi was ousted and later killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.

Following the fatal flood, both people inside and outside of Libya called for an international investigation, reflecting the deep public mistrust in state institutions.

The two dams had not been maintained for decades despite repeated warnings that they were in need of repair.

According to Libya's eastern government, the conference is divided into three focus areas: the environment, development and future planning. No representatives from Libya's western government, which is seated in the capital Tripoli, attended the conference, according to the rival administration.



US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
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US Defers Removal of Some Lebanese, Citing Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a site targeted by Lebanon's Hezbollah, along the northern Israeli border with Lebanon on July 25, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (AFP)

The United States is deferring the removal of certain Lebanese citizens from the country, President Joe Biden said on Friday, citing humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon amid tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

The deferred designation, which lasts 18 months, allows Lebanese citizens to remain in the country with the right to work, according to a memorandum Biden sent to the Department of Homeland Security.

"Humanitarian conditions in southern Lebanon have significantly deteriorated due to tensions between Hezbollah and Israel," Biden said in the memo.

"While I remain focused on de-escalating the situation and improving humanitarian conditions, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Lebanese nationals who are present in the United States."

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been trading fire since Hezbollah announced a "support front" with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel's military assault in Gaza.

The fighting in Lebanon has killed more than 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters, according to a Reuters tally, and led to levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not seen since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

On the Israeli side, 10 Israeli civilians, a foreign agricultural worker and 20 Israeli soldiers have been killed. Tens of thousands have been evacuated from both sides of the border.