While the floods were unprecedented, experts argue that years of neglect and corruption worsened the tragedy. The process of retrieving the bodies washing up on Derna’s shores continues, as the death toll carries on increasing. “The general state of turmoil also means a lot of bickering over the allocation of funds,” said Claudia Gazzini, the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Libya. A concrete example of that lack of public investment is the dams in Derna, which failed catastrophically. “The eastern authorities in Derna bear the responsibility for their judgement call,” said Anas El Gomati, the founder and director of the Sadeq Institute.

Source: Libya Today September 14, 2023 20:44 UTC