Libya Imprisons Officials After Derna Floods
- Last September, Derna, a coastal city in Libya, was hit by catastrophic floods due to Storm Daniel.
- In the aftermath, Libyan authorities have decided to imprison officials held responsible for the disaster.
- This response highlights the government's attempt to address negligence in disaster preparedness and management.
A Libyan court has sentenced 12 officials to prison for their roles in the catastrophic dam collapse in Derna last year, which resulted in the deaths of thousands. The attorney general announced on Sunday that the officials, responsible for dam management, received prison terms ranging from 9 to 27 years, while four others were acquitted. The disaster occurred in September 2022 when Storm Daniel unleashed devastating floods that overwhelmed the city, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life. The coastal city of Derna, home to approximately 125,000 residents, faced unprecedented flooding that swept away buildings and obliterated entire neighborhoods. The attorney general's office in Tripoli revealed that three of the convicted officials were also ordered to repay money gained through illicit means. Charges against them included negligence, premeditated murder, and misappropriation of public funds, with the possibility of appealing the verdicts. A joint report from the World Bank, United Nations, and European Union highlighted the flooding as a climate and environmental disaster, estimating that $1.8 billion is needed for recovery and reconstruction efforts. The report attributed the dam failures to outdated design practices and inadequate maintenance, exacerbated by over a decade of conflict and governance issues in Libya. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been divided between rival factions, complicating governance and infrastructure management, which has contributed to the ongoing challenges faced by the nation.