Libya - September 2023

Libya was hit by a storm of unprecedented severity on 11 September. Climate scientists estimate that a storm of this intensity would normally affect Libya only once in every 300-600 years, but that climate change has made such extreme weather events ten times more likely. United Nations officials estimate that nearly 4,000 people were killed in the floods that followed the storm, many in the town of Derna where two dams collapsed, releasing huge amounts of water that swept people, vehicles, and infrastructure into the sea. Residents of the city (and foreign experts) blamed the government for the high death toll, with particular focus on inadequate maintenance of the dams, poor communication with residents in vulnerable areas, and inefficiencies in the delivery of aid.

Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation (1), British Broadcasting Corporation (2), Voice of America, The Conversation