https://arab.news/bbpey
- Only a small proportion of the bodies of those swept out to sea have been recovered;
- Estimated 6,000 migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Palestine and Syria were in Derna there when the storm hit
LONDON: About 8,500 people are still missing, according to UNICEF, more than two months after Storm Daniel caused devastating flooding in eastern Libya, where two dams collapsed in Derna, destroying large sections of the coastal city.
Only a small proportion of the bodies of those swept out to sea have been recovered after weeks of search efforts, The Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday
Despite prolonged periods of violence and political instability, Libya continues to be a popular destination for migrants seeking better living conditions or hoping to cross the Mediterranean to countries in Europe.
Hamad Al-Shalwi, a member of Derna’s crisis committee, estimated that approximately 6,000 migrants from Egypt, Sudan, Palestine and Syria were in the city when the storm hit. This is a conservative estimate, however, compared with a 2023 report by the International Organization of Migration that put the number at more than 21,000.
Lu’ay Afifi, a Palestinian construction worker who lived in Derna, is among those who are still missing, along with his wife and two daughters. His sister, Sana’a, 60, who lives 180 miles to the west in Benghazi, told The Guardian she has no idea what happened to them.
“I have faith that my brother and his family survived this catastrophe,” she said. “My husband and son went to Lu’ay’s home and there was nothing left of it. I’ve put their names on a list compiled by a committee in the Palestinian consulate in Benghazi dedicated to chasing those missing. Otherwise, I don’t know what else to do.”
Lu’ay and his family have been added to a list of 65 Palestinians killed by the storm, according to officials at the consulate in Benghazi.
“The Libyan government made a huge effort in search and rescue operations and provided healthcare assistance to those who needed it,” Ibrahim Jumaa, a member of the crisis committee at the Palestinian consulate in Derna, told The Guardian. “But as of now, no financial compensation was given to the 90 affected (Palestinian) families.”
Libyan citizens, on the other hand, have started to receive compensation averaging 50,000 Libyan dinars ($10,400) per family, the official noted.
The situation is particularly bleak for the families of undocumented immigrants such Ali Ashraf, a 25-year-old Egyptian blacksmith whose disappearance has left relatives back home in dire straits. His family, who live in Minya province, one of Egypt’s poorest regions, relied heavily on the bank transfers he sent home to them each month to stay afloat.
“The Egyptian Foreign Ministry and the Egyptian Red Crescent were in contact with us to gather his details,” Ashraf’s sister, Samah, 30, told The Guardian.
“We’ve also been circulating his photos on social media in the hope that someone would come forward with any information.”
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity, the government is giving 25,000 Egyptian pounds ($809) to citizens injured by the floods and 100,000 pounds to the families of those who died. Ashraf’s family has yet to receive anything, however.
“Not that it’ll make up for our grave loss but we have not received any support or compensation from the Egyptian or Libyan governments, not even his personal belongings,” Samah said. “It won’t be easy proving that he was in Derna when the storm struck.”