Iran Sends Humanitarian Aid to Flood-Hit Libya

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said on Friday that it has sent 40 tons of humanitarian aid to flood-stricken Libya to help the victims. The head of the Iranian organization, Pir-Hossein Kolivand, said the aid package includes tents, blankets, mats, medicine, and foodstuffs, according to Mehr news agency. He also said that three rescue teams have been dispatched to the African country, which hit by devastating floods.

According to the Libyan Red Crescent, at least 11,300 people have been killed so far and another 10,000 people are feared missing after a storm in the Mediterranean caused dams to burst — washing entire coastal neighborhoods out to sea.

Storm Daniel pounded the North African country last Sunday night, unleashing heavy rainfall that caused flash flooding. But the major destruction would come hours later, when two dams located on the Wadi Derna River burst, creating a wall of water that destroyed everything in its path. The greatest devastation was seen in the port city of Derna, which is home to 90,000 people.

Derna's mayor Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi said the death toll would likely climb to 20,000 considering the devastation of the city. Another 170 people reportedly died in neighboring coastal cities. Before the devastating storm struck the east of Libya, the area was already host to more than 46,000 internally displaced people as a result of the country’s decades-long conflict. - Iran Daily