The World Health Organization and other aid agencies urged Libyan authorities on Friday to stop burying flood victims in mass graves.
More than 1,000 people have so far been buried in mass graves, according to a UN report.
The statement urged that victims should be buried in well demarcated and documented graves, as a hasty burial can lead to a long-lasting mental distress for grieving family members.
The devastating deluge has washed away entire neighbourhoods in Derna. Thousands have died while thousands more remain missing.
Between a divided government, destroyed infrastructure and difficult logistics for aid teams, it’s hard to get a precise picture of the situation in Libya today, but here’s what we do know:
- The official government’s death toll as of yesterday is 3,000. Libya’s UN ambassador has put the figure at 6,000, the Red Crescent organisation estimates 11,000, and the mayor of Derna says it could be up to 20,000
- Tens of thousands of people remain missing in Derna, and efforts to locate them are under way, but the task is overwhelming. Thousands of bodies were washed out to sea, and tides have brought some to shore more than 100km (60 miles) away
- Bulldozers have started clearing the streets in Derna, but work is slow – the rubble of destroyed buildings still conceals many victims who were trapped inside when the flood hit
- Destroyed infrastructure is slowing down aid teams as roads to Derna are blocked and teams on the ground do not have access to power, water and fuel. There are calls to establish a sea corridor as an entry way
- The UN says Derna urgently needs more aid, and that climate change played a role in the catastrophe
Source: BBC
