Authorities in Libya reported that urgent relief was being organized as fast as possible to reach those in need after catastrophic floods in the eastern regions, triggered by the passage of the Daniel storm. The disaster in Derna resulted in a tragic loss of life and a profound disruption to communities already struggling with damage to homes, infrastructure, and basic services.
The Libyan state news agency identified Musa al-Koni, a vice president within the Libyan Presidential Council based in Tripoli, who stressed that the authorities are determined to move aid quickly and reach as many affected people as possible. He highlighted the urgency of delivering relief and support to those impacted by the flooding, underscoring a collective international effort to mobilize resources and expertise for rescue and recovery operations, reported by LANA.
In remarks to the press, Al-Koni noted that the government has requested assistance from countries with proven track records in search and rescue missions. He stated that Spain, Italy, and Canada had already expressed willingness to back the recovery efforts in the eastern parts of Libya, reinforcing a regional and international response to a crisis that has stretched local capacities.
Concurrently, the Libyan Air Ambulance service announced the establishment of an air bridge linking Tripoli with eastern Libyan provinces. This air corridor is intended to expedite the transport of critically injured individuals to safer medical facilities and to facilitate the rapid delivery of life-saving treatments, especially in areas where floodwaters have disrupted ground transportation and damaged critical routes.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that more than two thousand residents of Benghazi were affected by the deluge and were taking shelter in schools around the city. Evacuations from Al Baida Medical Center were carried out due to the flood’s impact, with medical teams coordinating the safe transfer of patients to areas with adequate care capacity. The situation has strained local health services and underscored the need for sustained humanitarian support.
Officials noted that the storm inflicted substantial damage to infrastructure, including road networks and telecommunications systems, compounding the challenges faced by residents who have already endured displacement. At least 410 families—roughly 2,050 people—and 35 migrants were reported as displaced. While local authorities and aid partners are collecting casualty data, the government said that official numbers were still being verified as the situation evolved and assessment teams continued to survey affected neighborhoods.
In the hours that followed, Libya’s parallel administrations publicly expressed gratitude to the international community for the support offered after the Daniel event. The incident itself has been linked to a difficult pattern of weather-related hazards that, in recent days, has drawn attention from regional observers and international relief organizations. Preliminary estimates indicated dozens of fatalities and thousands of people reported missing across multiple locations after the storms moved through Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey before impacting Libyan territories.