UN humanitarians partnering in Libya to help in wake of deadly storm

United Nations, Sep 14 (IANS) The UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Libya, Georgette Gagnon, has designated an emergency team to support local authorities and partners following storm Daniel, UN humanitarians said.

A 12-person UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team has been deployed in Libya to support the world body's response to the massive flooding that has killed thousands of people with thousands more missing, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday, noting that the UN is responding to calls for assistance and providing aid in the affected areas.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, at the beginning of a press conference on Wednesday preceding next week's annual high-level General Assembly session, again expressed his deepest condolences and full solidarity with all those affected by the flooding in Libya and the deadly earthquake in Morocco, Xinhua news agency reported.

"These heart-wrenching disasters have claimed thousands of lives and affected countless families and communities," he said.

"The United Nations is mobilising to support relief efforts and we will work in any and every way we can with partners to help get emergency assistance to those who so desperately need it."

The UN humanitarians said search-and-rescue operations continue in Libya, led by national agencies, the military, the Libyan Red Crescent and local volunteers.

"The lack of accurate and reliable data across affected regions presents a significant challenge; access challenges and conflicting reports from multiple sources further add to the difficulties in coordinating and effectively deploying humanitarian assistance," OCHA reported earlier on Wednesday in its Flash Update No. 1 report.

According to the report, significant displacement is being observed across affected regions, most notably in Derna, where available data indicates that at least 30,000 individuals were displaced. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, especially in Derna, where accessibility remains a critical challenge due to damaged infrastructure.

The report said critical infrastructure, including healthcare, electricity, buildings, roads and telecommunications, were significantly damaged. However, there is progress in restoring electricity and communications to the affected areas.

"Many international partners indicated their interest to provide emergency response assistance," OCHA added.

"The United Nations in Libya is preparing a flash appeal to garner and coordinate international support in response to Libyans' request for humanitarian assistance."

Undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs Martin Griffiths, the UN emergency relief coordinator, announced on Tuesday an initial allocation of $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support people affected by the flooding.

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