LIBYA FLOODS: DEATH TOLL RISES TO 6,000; AT LEAST 30,000 PEOPLE DISPLACED

The death toll from the floods in Libya’s east has risen to 6,000, with thousands still missing, according to an official with the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU).

Saadeddin Abdul Wakil, the health ministry undersecretary of the internationally recognised government in Libya’s west, told Anadolu news agency the figure was “preliminary”.

“This is a statistic for all the areas affected by the floods, and the city of Derna recorded the largest number,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, Libya’s rival eastern administration said 5,300 bodies have been counted in Derna alone so far, with that number expected to rise and even double.

The sea at Derna is “constantly dumping dozens of bodies”, said Hichem Chkiouat, the minister of civil aviation in the eastern administration.

He appealed for international help, saying Libya does not have the experience to deal with a disaster of this magnitude.

Derna’s death toll “will increase and double for sure”, Islamic Relief’s Salah Aboulgasem told Al Jazeera.

At least 30 percent of the city has “completely disappeared”, Aboulgasem said.

“The best way of describing it is like a mini-tsunami completely washing away everything in its path,” he added.

According to him, families of “multiple generations” had lived in the affected areas.

“Complete families have been wiped out … Some of these buildings were completely taken away by the water.”

Aboulgasem said he expects the death toll “to double, if not quadruple”.

“People are saying in Arabic it’s like doomsday. That’s the best way to describe it,” he said.

Relief missions to Libya gathered pace with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates among the first nations to rush aid to the east of the country.

The UAE sent two aid planes carrying 150 tonnes of food, relief and medical supplies.

A Kuwaiti flight took off with 40 tonnes of supplies, and Jordan sent a military plane loaded with food parcels, tents, blankets and mattresses.

Qatar has sent two planes carrying 67 tonnes of humanitarian and relief aid to the east of Libya as part of an emergency response to the region affected by flooding.

The planes arrived at Benina airport in Benghazi, the Qatar News Agency reported.

The aid includes medical and food supplies in addition to a field hospital provided by the Qatar Fund for Development.

Tunisia and Algeria have also pledged to send relief aid.

UN has limited emergency supplies in Libya