Highlights:
· The World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting 3,958 fatalities and 9,000 people listed as missing. These numbers are expected to rise as information becomes available.
· The Libyan Red Crescent Society (LRCS) are working in Derna to record data on missing persons to create a unified hurricane victims’ platform.
· Derna, Shahat and Al bayada are reportedly among the most affected areas and between 230,000 to 884,000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
· Several thousand people have migrated to other areas of Libya and there are approximately 49,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UN Refugee Agency in Libya.
· The LRCS and the Egyptian Air Force delivered humanitarian aid to 100 families in an area that was inaccessible due to the destruction of roads.
· Public Health and Healthcare Update:
o There is a concern about the risk of disease outbreak, particularly from contaminated water and the lack of sanitation.
o WHO is working with the Libyan National Center for Disease Control on strengthening disease surveillance to detect and combat communicable diseases and prevent their further spread.
o WHO is also bolstering emergency health services by donating ambulances, essential supplies, medicines, and medical equipment.
· International Assistance:
o The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered emergency medical kits to primary care services to support 15,000 people for three months.
o UNICEF is also mobilizing 27 metric tons of relief supplies that are in-route to Derna that can support 50,000 people. They are expecting to deliver a total of 67 metric tons of relief supplies this week.
o The UN Refugee Agency is distributing core relief kits of blankets, plastic tarps and kitchen equipment to 6,200 displaced families in Derna and Benghazi.
o The World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed food rations to over 5,000 households.
o The UN Migration Agency is supporting 460 families with non-food items and a further 4,000 families in Benghazi with medicine.
o The United States has provided an additional $10 million in humanitarian aid. This assistance will provide food, shelter, water, healthcare, and hygiene assistance.
o A field hospital through the EU Civil Protection Mechanisms has been established. This facility is equipped with an operating theater, a maternity ward, hospital beds and can treat up to 100 patients a day.
o On September 17th, five members of a Greek rescue team were killed in a vehicle accident in Derna.
Sources:
· Libya: Flood update Flash Update No.4 (18 September 2023) (as of 3pm local time)
· Libya - Floods, update (Reliefweb, media) (ECHO Daily Flash of 18 September 2023)
· UN in Libya Twitter Page
· WHO Libya Twitter Page
· IFRC MENA Twitter Page
· Libyan Red Crescent Society Twitter Page
· USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance Twitter Page
· EU ECHO Twitter Page
Resources
World Food Programme Monetary Donations (New)
UN Migration Agency Monetary Donations (New)
UNOSAT Live Web Map
UN Crisis Relief, Libya Floods Response (Monetary Donations)
UN Refugee Agency, Help Libya Website
Center for International Disaster Information, Libya Flooding Website
Center for Disaster Philanthropy, 2023 Libya Floods