The Guardian reports on Libya’s devastating floods: ‘disastrous beyond comprehension’

On 12 September, The Guardian published a detailed report on the aftermath of the recent floods in Libya, which has been described as ‘disastrous beyond comprehension’, with over 5,000 people dead and at least 10,000 others missing. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the devastating floods that swept away nearly a quarter of the city of Derna, ‘with no prospect of going back home’. In the report, The Guardian’s Patrick Wintour speaks to government officials, representatives of international organisations, and eyewitnesses, including Anas el-Gomati, the founder of the Libya-based Sadeq thinktank, who said a political inquest would be necessary. Citing corruption and incompetence, el-Gomati said that there was ‘plenty of warning about this hurricane… yet there was no evacuation of Derna – and now a quarter of the city’s population are under water’.

Read the full report here.