Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland on Thursday claimed flooding that devastated Derna last month has renewed calls to unify the North African nation's fractured institutions.
The U.S. Ambassador to Libya said Thursday that the deadly floods that devastated a Libyan coastal city last month have spurred new efforts to unify the oil rich country. During an online news conference, Richard Norland insisted that the tragedy, which killed thousands of people in the eastern city of Derna, has added urgency to 'unify the country’s institutions' following a decade of conflict and division.
Devastating rainfall and floods, triggered by Mediterranean Storm Daniel, hit parts of eastern Libya in September. The water overwhelmed two aging dams outside Derna on Sep. 11, causing massive flooding that washed away residential buildings to the sea and left as much as one-third of Derna’s housing and infrastructure damaged, according to the U.N.’s Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Following the disaster, many in and outside Libya called for an international investigation into possible government neglect, reflecting the deep public mistrust in state institutions. The two dams had not been maintained for decades despite repeated warnings that they were faulty. During the news conference, the ambassador also called for the formation of a unified mechanism of the two governments to lead the reconstruction of the city. A joint mechanism was first proposed by U.N.
previous U.N.-brokered process installed an interim government — with Dbeibah at its head — in early 2021 with the aim of guiding the country to elections later that year. The elections were never held following disagreements over several key issues, including the eligibility for presidential candidacy.
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