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After Libya's catastrophic floods, survivors and recovery teams assess losses

A father walks with his son in Derna, Libya, with smoke caused by a sanitation truck visible in the background. Concerns are rising about the spread of infectious diseases after fatal floods in Derna earlier this month.
Amr Alfiky
/
Reuters
A father walks with his son in Derna, Libya, with smoke caused by a sanitation truck visible in the background. Concerns are rising about the spread of infectious diseases after fatal floods in Derna earlier this month.

The Mediterranean coastal city of Derna, in northeastern Libya, was largely destroyed in sudden floods that began in the early hours of Sept. 11. As Storm Daniel pounded the area with torrential rains, dams above the Wadi Derna river valley collapsed, sweeping away entire neighborhoods and the families who lived in them.

The floods have left thousands dead, missing and displaced. On Thursday, the U.N. Children's Fund, UNICEF, said 16,000 children are among the displaced and warned that many more lack access to basic services such as health and schooling.

Here are some recent scenes, as international and local search and rescue teams and survivors continued the work of recovery.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Field Medicine and Support Center workers handle a vehicle recovered from the sea after it was swept away during floods in Derna, Sept. 20.
Amr Alfiky / Reuters
/
Reuters
Field Medicine and Support Center workers handle a vehicle recovered from the sea after it was swept away during floods in Derna, Sept. 20.
A person removes mud from a house after floods in Derna, Sept. 19.
Amr Alfiky / Reuters
/
Reuters
A person removes mud from a house after floods in Derna, Sept. 19.
Workers move piles of mud and dirt outside a Derna mosque following fatal floods, Sept. 18.
Amr Alfiky / Reuters
/
Reuters
Workers move piles of mud and dirt outside a Derna mosque following fatal floods, Sept. 18.
An Italian search and rescue team drops a boat during a search mission in Derna following fatal floods, Sept. 17.
Amr Alfiky / Reuters
/
Reuters
An Italian search and rescue team drops a boat during a search mission in Derna following fatal floods, Sept. 17.
Search and rescue personnel work in Derna, Sept. 16.
Amr Alfiky / Reuters
/
Reuters
Search and rescue personnel work in Derna, Sept. 16.
Volunteer Hossam Almegassabe and others carry a body recovered after being swept out to the sea during floods in Derna, Sept. 16.
Amr Alfiky / Reuters
/
Reuters
Volunteer Hossam Almegassabe and others carry a body recovered after being swept out to the sea during floods in Derna, Sept. 16.
Rescue personnel work in the aftermath of deadly floods in Derna, Sept. 16.
Amr Alfiky / Reuters
/
Reuters
Rescue personnel work in the aftermath of deadly floods in Derna, Sept. 16.

Virginia Lozano

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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