Jørgen Haldorsen of the Norwegian Red Cross tells of great needs on the ground – Dagsavisen

– There has been enormous destruction and massive forces at work, says foreign director Jørgen Haldorsen of the Red Cross to Dagsavisen.

He says that the Norwegian Red Cross is present with its own people in Libya, who are also working with the Libyan Red Crescent after the flood disaster.

On Sunday 10 September, extreme weather Daniel came over the country. Within 24 hours, it rained as much as it usually does in a whole year, and two dams above the coastal town of Derna burst.

The tidal wave washed away a quarter of the city. The death toll is uncertain – according to the Red Crescent, it could be over 11,000.

Little hope of finding survivors

– We are now over a week into this situation. In the first phase, there is a lot of focus on handling the dead in a dignified way. The effort goes to search and rescue, in addition to helping the injured, says Haldorsen.

– You still find dead people now, but there is little hope of finding more survivors, he adds.

A little over a week after the flood, it is primarily about helping those who are left behind, explains Haldorsen.

– Many are taken in by friends and relatives. Whether there is a need for separate camps is not yet clear.

Many of the residents have lost everything they have, and there is a huge need for shelter, food, water and basic services. Sanitary conditions such as toilet facilities and waste management are particularly important now to prevent outbreaks of disease.

– Work is being done at full blast here. The logistics have been challenging from day one. One of the main challenges is that there is only one way into the city, says Haldorsen.

– After a situation like this, where infrastructure is washed away, there will be pollution, dirty water that flows into wells, and people who live close together. Then there is a risk of disease outbreaks.

– Many are in shock

From before, the Norwegian Red Cross worked with mobile health services in Libya.

– We are now sending two mobile health units to Derna. Local hospitals were partially destroyed in the flood, so there will be great needs in health in the coming months.

This also applies to mental health – many are still in shock, says Haldorsen. In the longer term, it will be about clean-up and reconstruction.

– This will continue for a long time, even when the cameras go away and the world’s attention has moved away, he says.

Libya has had a long-running conflict that has resulted in two competing governments controlling separate parts of the country. The government that controls the areas in the east where Derna is located is not internationally recognised. Nevertheless, the Red Cross has had access from day one, says Haldorsen.

– Having a national movement in the country gives us a different approach. Here, several hundred local volunteers from the Red Crescent have been involved right from the start.

Asking for investigation

According to Haldorsen, the flood in Libya is an example of climate vulnerability that you can expect to see more of in the future.

– We have seen for some time that extreme weather strikes more often and more intensely, and in places where it has not necessarily struck before. This is how it is in this case. People are not used to these amounts of rainfall in Libya, he says.

On Monday, demonstrators took to the streets of Libya to protest against the authorities, who they believe have not done enough to avert the disaster. It should have been notified about a lack of maintenance on the dams that burst for many years.

The protesters also set fire to the house of the resigned mayor of the city, according to The Guardian.

In recent days, several Libyan organizations have called for the disaster to end is being investigated by an independent, international committee to map out who is responsible for the lack of maintenance.

( Norway will not take a position on apartheid accusations against Israel )

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The flood disaster in Libya

• Storm Daniel hit Libya on Sunday 10 September.
• Torrential rain caused two dams to burst in the coastal town of Derna in the east of the country. A massive tidal wave destroyed entire neighborhoods in the city of around 90,000 inhabitants.
• Libya’s Red Crescent said on September 14 that the death toll in the city has reached 11,300while 10,100 are still missing.
• The UN has sent out one emergency call where they are asking for almost NOK 770 million to meet the most urgent needs of around 250,000 of those affected.
• Norway contributes NOK 25 million to life-saving efforts.

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