The United Nations' top official in divided Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, has called for a unified mechanism to lead the reconstruction of the coastal city of Derna, which was devastated by devastating floods last month. The floods, triggered by Mediterranean Storm Daniel, overwhelmed two depleted dams outside Derna, leaving residential buildings and infrastructure damaged. The estimated death tolls range from over 4,000 to over 11,000, with many bodies still under rubble or in the Mediterranean. As Libya remains divided, with two rival administrations claiming legitimacy and each wanting to oversee the reconstruction of Derna, Bathily called for a unified national mechanism to effectively and efficiently take forward the reconstruction efforts in the flood-affected areas. He urged Libyan rival authorities and their international partners to facilitate the establishment of the unified mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability.
Bathily's call for a unified mechanism gained support from the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, and Italy. The five governments said in a joint statement that they "strongly support" a proposal to "deliver transparent and accountable relief and response to the reconstruction needs in the wake of the flood disaster." The oil-rich North African nation has been in chaos since 2011, when an Arab Spring uprising ousted longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
