Libya flooding illuminates systematic flaws
Over one month ago, on Sept. 11, 2023, the city of Derna, Libya, alongside adjacent towns, experienced the full frontal effects of “Tropical Storm Daniel” in a way that no one saw coming: an area-wide mass flood. This flood resulted from two central dams’ infrastructure failing, not built to withstand the force it was experiencing and broke under the weight, sending over 24 million tonnes of water hurtling toward several unevacuated, densely populated areas, leaving over 4,000 dead and 10,000 missing to this day.
The main reason why this situation turned as dire as it did was because of the poor governmental response to the encroaching tropical storm, with many citizens feeling it was blown off entirely; the government hid the severity from them for no reason other than to prevent hysteria. Evacuation orders were only sent to those living on beaches, not in coastal towns, with vague commands such as to move to “safe places” without outlining where or what those are. Many remained unaware of the encroaching storm until a mandatory curfew was implemented, forcing people to stay home as the storm came in, without mentioning anything about evacuations.
This issue goes deeper than just the poor spread of communication. It tracks back to the current power divide in Libya, which is the result of the power vacuum left by the death of Libya’s former leader, Moammar Gaddafi, in 2011 and the Tripoli War—a war for the capital of Libya - ending in 2019. The death of Gaddafi brought an unprecedented power vacuum, leaving many eager to step up and win control of the country, even if the capital is no longer up for grabs.
Now, that brings us to the present with two warring factions - the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Government of National Accord (GNA)—controlling the East and West, respectively; this feud is a continuation of the 14-month war for Tripoli with the LNA still trying to usurp the GNA’s control. This ongoing feud has resulted in many things going unnoticed within the area, leaving many feeling like prominent issues like infrastructure were deprioritized in favor of alternatives.
The result of this longstanding feud, in part, is the lack of attention broadcast to the dams. According to the Washington Post, “Between 2011 and 2014, there were already concerns about the state of Libyan infrastructure...Libya went through a six-year civil conflict from 2014 to 2020 and a lot of infrastructure was damaged during that conflict. In the three years since, you have had a situation of a rival government, which has yet again complicated political dynamics.” However, the critical failure that happened can’t be undermined just because there was internal strife. This was a solvable issue.
The floods ravaging Libya resulted from decades of build-up within two slowly eroding facilities, showing cracks and fissures before its collapse, which could have been fixed. Because facts like this are highlighted in the media, eight current and former staff managing the dams were arrested, and 16 of their peers were detained as of Sept. 25, 2023—none of whom have been arrested yet.
As of today, the travesty that occurred in Libya serves as a fresh reminder of just how easily severe issues can be swept under the rug and just how grotesque the effects can be. Every individual within this government has a right and duty to serve the best interests of its people, and this negligence shows that this is not the case. Though the conflict is over, the fight is just beginning when it comes to rebuilding Libya’s destroyed infrastructure and re-instilling faith in the government—so stay tuned and informed!
Thumbnail Photo via WikiMedia Commons