Bathily told ambassadors that despite the sense of national unity and compassion shown by ordinary Libyans, the disaster had revealed “severe governance deficits” across the divided nation. “I saw first-hand the magnitude of the disaster and heard from families about their losses, including individuals who lost all their loved ones”, said Bathily. “I saw an apocalyptic scene where large portions of the city were literally swallowed up by the water,” he shared with the Council. The UN, along with local and international partners, swiftly responded to the crisis, providing life-saving aid and leading search and rescue operations. The focus now is on early recovery and reconstruction.
