NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is ready to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to complement national and local efforts in response to the deadly storm that killed 150 people in eastern Libya. “We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and our thoughts for all people affected,” UNSMIL said in a statement.
- Ossama Hamad, the prime minister of the Libyan parliament-backed government, has declared Derna a disaster zone after heavy rainfall and floods destroyed much of the city. The prime minister also announced Monday a three-day of mourning and ordered flags across the country to be lowered to half-mast.
- At least 20 people were confirmed dead so far, while the fate of dozens others remain unknown as they went missing, after Mediterranean Storm Daniel unleashed extreme floods across the eastern coastal line of Libya. 13 people died in Al-Bayda, Libya’s 4th largest city which is located in the north east of the country. Abdul Rahim Maziq, the director of the city’s main medical center, said he expects the death toll to be over 100 in the city due to the large number of reports of missing persons as a result of floods.
NATIONAL POLITICS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
- Spokesman for the Libyan Parliament Abdullah Blihaq stressed that the investigations into the collapse of the Derna dams will cover all aspects. He noted that the Council will listen to a report from the government regarding the disaster. In an interview with Al Arabiya Al Hadath on Saturday, Blihaq said the House of Representatives and its committees have been following the issue from the first moment, in addition to the specialized technical procedures, as the Public Prosecutor’s Office began its investigations days ago.
- The German Air Force delivered 30 tons of relief supplies into Libya’s flooded areas. The relief supplies were sent by Germany’s Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) on board two Airbus A400M Atlas aircrafts of Air Transport Wing 62, a wing of the German Air Force, which flew from the German town of Wunstorf. The supplies include tents, camp beds, blankets, sleeping mats and power generators.
- British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that his government is in contact with the Libyan authorities and the UN to “urgently assess what support we can provide to help the Libyan people at this tragic time.” “My thoughts are with all those affected by the catastrophic flooding in eastern Libya. The UK stands ready to provide assistance,” Cleverly said in a brief statement.
