NEW YORK – The United Nations is mobilising aid for survivors following the devastating storm in Libya that killed thousands, reported German news agency (dpa).
The UN was working with local, national and international partners “to get urgently needed humanitarian assistance to those in the affected areas”, Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said on Tuesday.
Dujarric said a UN team was on the ground and they were cooperating with local authorities to assess needs and support ongoing relief efforts.
While rescue workers and relatives search for survivors, about 10,000 people have been reported missing at the last count following Storm Daniel, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
The Interior Ministry of one of Libya’s rival governments said about 5,200 people were killed. This figure could not be independently verified.
“Our thoughts are with the thousands of people affected. We stand in solidarity with the people in Libya during this difficult time,” Dujarric said in New York.
The UN-recognised government in Tripoli pledged millions of dollar in aid for areas ravaged by the storm, although it does not control regions in the east of the country.
Two rival governments are vying for power in Libya, which has been plagued by unrest in recent years. One is based in the east and the other in the capital of Tripoli, in the west. So far, diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the ongoing civil war have failed.
Libya has been in turmoil since the overthrow of its dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011. Countless militias are still fighting for power and influence in the oil-rich country. – Bernama
