'The situation is the very definition of a disaster,' Abdel-Jaleel said.
A frenetic search for survivors — or bodies — ensued in eastern Libya on Tuesday after a Mediterranean storm lashed the OPEC member’s shores, with dams collapsing and triggering floods that killed at least 2 300, almost all in one city. The International Red Cross said at least 10 000 more were missing.
Libya’s envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told reporters in Geneva that 10 000 people were missing, according to the Associated Press. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said his country, which sits on Libya’s eastern border, would provide assistance and offer its military to help with search and rescue efforts.
Those efforts are likely being hindered by the nation’s tumultuous politics. The country, which sits atop Africa’s largest proven reserves of crude oil, has been mired in conflict for much of the past decade. It’s split between rival administrations in the east and west. Repeated efforts to broker a political agreement have largely failed. ADVERTISEMENT CONTINUE READING BELOW Both governments have declared three days of mourning.
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