Storm Daniel has brought massive devastation to eastern Libya. Storm Daniel initially killed 15 people in central Greece when it swept the country on September 4th, along with Bulgaria and Turkey, and then went on to strike the eastern coast of Libya with full force on September 10th, leaving over 10,000 Libyans dead and over 6,000 still missing in the mud, rubble and sea.

Storm Daniel is recorded as deadliest weather event of 2023 for far, and it hit the cities of Derna, Susa, Bayda and al-Marj and other towns and villages in eastern Libya, with the port city of Derna bearing the brunt of the storm.

Two dams upstream from the city burst on the early morning of Monday September 11th at 2.30am, one after the other, releasing huge volumes of water that flooded the entire valley and engulfed the area—destroying roads, bridges, residential areas and housing in its wake.

Access to Derna and other parts of eastern Libya have been critically affected by the destruction of bridges, roads and even telecommunication systems and cables. Libya is in desperate need of help.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Libya, at least 30,000 individuals have been displaced in Derna due to the storms, with a further 3,000 in Bayda, 2,085 in Benghazi and 1,000 in Mechili.

Given the scale and magnitude of this catastrophe and urgency, the Libya Institute for Advanced Studies (LIAS) has established a Libya Emergency Appeal & Support (LEAS) unit in Benghazi, Derna and Dubai to consolidate critical work done by LIAS on the ground since the beginning of the crisis. Our headquarters in Benghazi have become a focal point and hub for humanitarian assistance and coordination. The new unit will provide information, support and coordination for technical, diplomatic and media teams and personnel to ensure up to date information and facilitate assistance to the hardest hit areas.

The Libya Emergency Appeal & Support (LEAS) shall provide regular updates on the humanitarian crisis and use its extensive network to coordinate international and diplomatic liaison, provide media assistance, assist with local liaison with various authorities on the ground in the disaster-affected areas, and help donors with assessment and mapping for critical humanitarian and infrastructural needs.