Destructive floods in Libya. The response of the Polish Red Cross to the humanitarian crisis

Volunteers from the Libyan Red Crescent were the first on the scene of the disaster. They are continuously conducting search and rescue operations in the field, in cooperation with local authorities. Evacuations of residents are ongoing, first aid is being provided, sanitary points are being organized, and transport to hospitals is being arranged. Three local volunteers from the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent also lost their lives in Libya: they died trying to save others.

"We help regardless of everything. The first phase of aid in Libya is related to saving lives and searching for the missing. Soon, hygiene products, drinking water, and food will be needed. As the Polish Red Cross, we remain in constant contact with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. We are announcing a nationwide fundraising campaign and encourage everyone to contribute to help Libya," says Michał Mikołajczyk, a member of the Board of the Polish Red Cross. Earlier, the Polish Red Cross announced a collection to aid Morocco.

"Such a scale of destruction and evacuation from the flood-affected areas is associated with disappearances and a lack of contact with loved ones. With those searching for family members in mind, the Red Cross is running a program Restoring Family Links (Restoring Family Links)" – informs Katarzyna Kubicius, head of the National Information and Search Office of the Polish Red Cross. Relatives of the missing can contact the Polish Red Cross Information and Search Office: tel. 22 326 12 61 | 22 326 12 64. E-mail: biuro.poszukiwan@pck.pl.

At an extraordinary press conference held on September 12, 2023, in Geneva, Tamer Ramadan, head of the delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, stated that the death toll is rising, and rescuers are still unable to reach many flooded areas.

"Storms like Daniel are rare and occur much more frequently in the western part of the Mediterranean than on the dry coast of Libya. It is harder for us to understand the logic of natural disasters such as floods in a dry climate, where even moderate rainfall is scarce. Libya was not prepared for floods. Therefore, the humanitarian crisis we are observing in this country is unprecedented," claims Prof. Liz Stephens from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Center.