Deaths Following Flooding in Libya Could Have Been Avoided Before Reaching 20,000, UN Says

The United Nations claimed that the deaths due to the flooding in Libya could have been avoided before reaching 20,000 if there were meteorological services operating. To date, reports say the death toll has already soared to 11,300 as search efforts still continue.

On September 14, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, claimed that thousands of deaths following the catastrophic flooding in Libya could have been avoided if there were standard operating meteorological services that issued warnings throughout the country.

An article in Al Jazeera states that the organization head Petteri Taalas’ assertion came after the negligence in the emergency response coordination amidst the flooding in Libya. To date, reports say the death toll following the flooding in Libya in the coastal city of Derna has soared to 11,300 as search efforts are still ongoing.

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Flooding in Libya To Worsen

According to Hjelmgaard, the flooding in Libya was made worse after a powerful Mediterranean storm named “Daniel” caused two dams to break open last September 10. Nonetheless, the WMO disclosed that earlier this week, the National Meteorological Center had issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding in Libya which notified all government authorities through media and e-mail. Unfortunately, it was not made clear whether the warnings had been taken heed of.

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