Libyan protesters outside the Sahaba Mosque in Derna on September 18. EPA
Libyan protesters outside the Sahaba Mosque in Derna on September 18. EPA
Libyan protesters outside the Sahaba Mosque in Derna on September 18. EPA
Libyan protesters outside the Sahaba Mosque in Derna on September 18. EPA

Angry Libyans protest against authorities in flood-hit Derna


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

Hundreds of people gathered in protest in the Libyan city of Derna on Wednesday, to vent anger at authorities and demand accountability, a week after a flood killed thousands of residents and destroyed entire neighbourhoods.

During the demonstration outside the Sahaba Mosque, protesters took aim at officials, including the Speaker of the eastern-based House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh.

Some sat on the roof in front of the mosque's golden dome, a Derna landmark.

Protesters also set fire to the house of the man who was Derna mayor at the time of the flood, Abdulmenam Al Ghaithi, his office manager told Reuters.

Hichem Abu Chkiouat, a minister in the eastern Libyan government, said Mr Ghaithi has been suspended from his post. Reuters could not immediately reach Mr Ghaithi for comment.

The government in eastern Libya said the prime minister Osama Hamad dismissed all the members of Derna's municipal council and referred them to investigation.

Monday's protest marks the first large demonstration since the flood, which swept through Derna when two dams in the hills outside the city failed during a powerful storm, unleashing a devastating torrent.

"Aguila we don't want you. All Libyans are brothers," protesters chanted, calling for national unity in a country left politically fractured by more than a decade of conflict and chaos.

Libya floods latest - in pictures

  • Bodies are being washed back into shore in Derna after last week's storm and flooding. The National
    Bodies are being washed back into shore in Derna after last week's storm and flooding. The National
  • Members of a Russian rescue team dive into the sea to retrieve bodies. AFP
    Members of a Russian rescue team dive into the sea to retrieve bodies. AFP
  • A sanitation worker disinfects an area of Derna, where concern is rising over the potential spread of infectious disease as bodies start to decompose. Reuters
    A sanitation worker disinfects an area of Derna, where concern is rising over the potential spread of infectious disease as bodies start to decompose. Reuters
  • Libyan Red Crescent team members en route to Karsa. Reuters
    Libyan Red Crescent team members en route to Karsa. Reuters
  • The UN estimates a quarter of the population of Derna could have been killed or injured. Reuters
    The UN estimates a quarter of the population of Derna could have been killed or injured. Reuters
  • Many roads and bridges have been destroyed. Reuters
    Many roads and bridges have been destroyed. Reuters
  • Aid and relief items are delivered by the Emirates Red Crescent to Karsa. Reuters
    Aid and relief items are delivered by the Emirates Red Crescent to Karsa. Reuters
  • An Italian team involved in a search-and-rescue mission. Reuters
    An Italian team involved in a search-and-rescue mission. Reuters
  • A Palestinian woman who survived the deadly storm eats breakfast in a classroom at Derna's College of Medical Technology. Reuters
    A Palestinian woman who survived the deadly storm eats breakfast in a classroom at Derna's College of Medical Technology. Reuters
  • Derna is a city that was still recovering from a civil war and an ISIS siege in 2014. Reuters
    Derna is a city that was still recovering from a civil war and an ISIS siege in 2014. Reuters
  • Survivors of the flooding are thankful for their good fortune. Reuters
    Survivors of the flooding are thankful for their good fortune. Reuters

Mansour, a student taking part in the protest, said he wanted an urgent investigation into the collapse of the dams, which "made us lose thousands of our beloved people".

Taha Miftah, 39, said the protest was a message that "the governments have failed to manage the crisis", and that the parliament was especially to blame.

Mr Miftah called for an international inquiry into the disaster and "for reconstruction under international supervision".

The full scale of the death toll has yet to emerge, with thousands of people still missing and officials providing varying statistics.

The World Health Organisation has confirmed 3,922 deaths.

Mr Saleh last week sought to deflect blame from authorities, describing the flood as an "unprecedented natural disaster" and saying people should not focus on what could or should have been done.

But commentators have drawn attention to warnings given in advance, including an academic paper published last year by a hydrologist outlining the city's vulnerability to floods and the urgent need to maintain the dams that protected it.

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Updated: September 19, 2023, 4:52 AM