The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has stated that most of the tragic deaths resulting from catastrophic floods in Libya could have been

prevented. This assertion was made by the head of the WMO, Petteri Taalas. Libyan health officials have confirmed 5,500 deaths, with 9,000 people still missing after an unusually powerful Mediterranean storm named "Daniel" caused devastating flooding in eastern Libya, leading to the bursting of two dams.

The torrents of water swept away families while they were asleep, engulfing entire neighborhoods.

Taalas stated, "If there had been a functioning meteorological service, they could have issued timely warnings." This appears to reference gaps and vulnerabilities in Libya's emergency response coordination, which stem from the presence of two rival, warring governments. Libya has been embroiled in a military conflict since the 2011 uprising that led to the downfall of the long-ruling dictator, Moammar Gadhafi.

Taalas continued, "The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out evacuations."

Earlier this week, the WMO reported that Libya's National Meteorological Center had issued warnings 72 hours before the flooding, notifying all government authorities through email and media outlets. However, it remains unclear whether these warnings were heeded.

Currently, the death toll is feared to rise significantly, potentially quadrupling, given the sheer force of the flood. Salah Aboulgasem, a deputy director at the UK-based aid group Islamic Relief, compared the floods to a "mini-tsunami" that has obliterated everything in its path. He reported that a quarter of Derna, the region's largest city, has been completely wiped out. The devastation includes the loss of buildings where multiple generations of families lived. Drowned bodies are being found on roads, and the tide is washing bodies ashore with each cycle.

Derna's mayor, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, told Reuters that the estimated death toll in the city could range between 18,000 and 20,000, based on the extent of the damage. These floods struck Libya shortly after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Morocco claimed the lives of over 2,800 people. Photo by Syed Wali Peeran, Wikimedia commons.