Libyan flooding prompts emergency appeals
Melanie May | 15 September 2023 | News
Two disasters in the space of a week have seen charities launch emergency appeals to help those impacted by the floods in Libya, just days after appeals launched following the earthquake in Morocco.
Storm Daniel hit Libya last Sunday (10 September), causing strong winds and heavy rainfall and resulting in two dams bursting under the pressure, which caused devastating flooding. So far, the Libyan Red Crescent estimates that more than 11,000 people have died while some 20,000 are still missing.
British Red Cross, UNICEF UK, Islamic Relief, Action Against Hunger, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Oxfam, International Rescue Committee and Penny Appeal are among those to have launched appeals so far.
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Money donated to British Red Cross’s appeal will help the Libyan Red Crescent, which is delivering aid to survivors and supporting rescue efforts. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has announced an emergency appeal for 10 million Swiss Francs to support the Libyan Red Crescent.
UNICEF UK says it is mobilising core relief items, which include medical supplies for 10,000 people, hygiene kits for more than 1,000 people, and clothes for 500 children. Its teams are also planning for longer term sustainable assistance to include help with infrastructure repair in schools, health centres, water supply and sanitation facilities.
Islamic Relief is working with local partners to deliver urgently needed support, such as blankets and food, and has committed an initial £100,000 to provide emergency aid.
Action Against Hunger’s teams in Libya are monitoring the situation and working alongside local partners with the aim of helping 1,000 people through providing food, hygiene kits and other essential items.
Christian Aid is working with partner Dan Church Aid, which has a presence in Libya, to send emergency supplies now, while longer-term Dan Church Aid aims to support with rubble clearance and reconstruction.
The DEC is currently monitoring the situations in both Libya and Morocco. Its criteria for launching an appeal can be read here.
More on the emergency response to the earthquake in Morocco here.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.