More than 100 Syrians Dead in Derna Flood, Says Monitor

A view shows a damaged car, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya on September 16. (Reuters)
A view shows a damaged car, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya on September 16. (Reuters)
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More than 100 Syrians Dead in Derna Flood, Says Monitor

A view shows a damaged car, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya on September 16. (Reuters)
A view shows a damaged car, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya on September 16. (Reuters)

A total of 112 Syrians, including entire families, died in flash flooding that hit Libya's eastern city of Derna last week, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor (SOHR).

Libya hosts a huge Syrian diaspora and is also considered a launchpad for migrants from Syria and other countries hoping to reach Europe by sea on crowded and dilapidated boats.

"In total, 112 Syrians were killed in the flood and more than 100 are still missing," said the Observatory.

The flooding has killed nearly 3,300 people and left thousands more missing.

"I lost two nephews, their wives, and six of their children" including a six-month-old baby, said Syrian construction worker Khaled Ali, 37.

His nephews Hadi and Mahmoud had taken refuge in Lebanon after Syria's war erupted in 2011, but they later fled to Libya after Lebanon’s economy started to collapse.

"We fled from one crisis to another," said Ali who hails from Daraa province. "This is our fate."

Ibrahim Qalaaji, 46, held a funeral in Damascus for eight relatives, including his brother Mohammed and his wife and six children.

"A doctor there told us my brother and his wife had died, but there is no trace of the rest of the family," he said.

His surviving brother Shadi held on to a mosque's minaret as the waters hurled people towards him.

Shadi lost all his belongings, including identification papers, in the disaster, Qalaaji said.

"He has no past, no present, no future."



Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble
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Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Moein Abu Odeh clambered up a pile of rubble in southern Gaza, searching for clothes, shoes, anything he could sell to raise cash more than a year since Israel started its relentless bombardments.

The father-of-four delved under blocks and brushed away piles of concrete dust at the site of one airstrike in the wrecked city of Khan Younis. His plan was to sell what he found to buy flour.

"If food and drink were available, believe me, I would give (these clothes) to charity," he said. "But the struggles we are going through (mean we) have to sell our clothes to eat and drink."

Widespread shortages and months of grinding war have generated a trade in old clothing, much of it salvaged from the homes of people who have died in the conflict.

At one makeshift market, shoes, shirts, sweaters and sneakers were laid out on dusty blankets, Reuters reported.

A girl tried on a single worn-out boot, which could come in handy this winter if she can afford it in Gaza's ruined economy.

A trader got an edge on his competitors by shouting out that his wares were European.

One man laughed as he got a young boy to try on a green jacket.

"We get clothing from a man whose house was destroyed. He was digging in the concrete to get some (clothing) and we buy them like this and sell them at a good price," displaced Palestinian Louay Abdel-Rahman said.

He and his family arrived in the city from another part of Gaza with only the clothes they were wearing. So he also keeps some back for them. "The seasons have changed from summer to winter and we need clothing," he said.

In April, the UN estimated it would take 14 years to dispose of the wreckage in Gaza. The UN official overseeing the problem said the clean-up would cost at least $1.2 billion.

More than 128,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely or moderately damaged in Gaza as a result of the conflict, the UN says. Underneath all of that are seams of mangled clothes.

"All our children only have short-sleeve clothing and nobody is helping them," Saeed Doula, a father-of-seven, said. "The war is all-encompassing."