This live blog has now ended. Follow The New Arab on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest news on the aftermath of Storm Daniel in Libya, as well as the Morocco earthquake.
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Tuesday that it believes that thousands could be dead or missing in eastern Libya after tropical cyclone Storm Daniel hit the country on Sunday, causing catastrophic damage in the region, notably in the city of Derna.
The country's health ministry stated that 3,000 people have been killed by the natural disaster which swept Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece earlier, while the IRFC said at least "10,000 people are missing" so far.
Moreover, three Red Cross volunteers are said to be killed in Libya, according to the NGO's officials.
International aid has begun to trickle in, chiefly from Italy and the United States.
Devastation in Derna as one official says a quarter of the city in eastern #Libya has been destroyed in #StormDaniel, with 1,000 bodies recovered so far - with many more missing #درنة #إعصار_دانيال #ليبيا_تستغيث pic.twitter.com/H5SFkPE5pf
— sebastian usher (@sebusher) September 12, 2023
Meanwhile, Moroccan earthquake survivors continue to reel from the calamitous effects of Friday's 6.8-magnitude earthquake which hit villages and towns south of Marrakech on Friday.
Search-and-rescue teams are still continuing their efforts in the hopes of finding more survivors or retrieving further bodies in the remote Atlas Mountains, where the death toll has now climbed to 2,901 people.
Islamic Relief to deliver aid to storm-stricken Libya
The Islamic Relief NGO said it is launching an emergency appeal to help Libyans made homeless by Storm Daniel, which has killed over 2,000 in eastern Libya.
The charity said it will be working with local partners on the ground to deliver vital aid, and has committed an initial £100,000 to deliver aid including food packs, blankets and mattresses.
Italy to send aid to Libya following deadly floods
Italy will send aid to Libya, where the death toll from severe floods in the east is expected to rise sharply, the foreign minister said Tuesday.
"The Italian government is responding immediately to requests for support for the floods in eastern Libya: an assessment team is already on its way, coordinated by our civil protection unit", wrote Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Some 10,000 people are currently reported missing in eastern Libya, according to the Red Cross, which said the death toll could be "huge".
Italy's Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, also said Tuesday on X that he had offered assistance from the army for the flooded areas.
Storm Daniel - which killed at least 27 people when it struck parts of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.
Ukraine President Zelensky offers condolences to Libya following deadly storm
Ukraine leader Volodymr Zelensky has offered his condolences to storm-hit Libya after 3,000 are confirmed to be killed after Storm Daniel struck eastern parts of the country on Sunday.
"My condolences to Libya and all Libyans for the loss of life and damage caused by devastating floods in the east of the country. We wish those injured a fast recovery. Ukraine stands in solidarity with the Libyan people during this difficult time," the Ukrainian President wrote on X, formally known as Twitter on Tuesday.
Zelensky wrote the same tweet in Ukrainian, following his English-language post.
10,000 people are said to be missing, while some officials have stated that at least a "quarter of the city" has been wiped out.
UK lends helping hand to Morocco following earthquake
The UK government has pledged to support Morocco in multiple way following a devastating earthquake that struck the country on Friday, leaving 2,901 people dead and thousands more injured.
The British search-and-rescue team has been on the ground helping with recovering bodies from debris, and will continue doing so on Tuesday. The team has also treated people wounded by the earthquake.
Meanwhile, specialist clinicians have also been deployed to assess damages to the health system in coordination with Moroccan officials.
The FCDO also said it will assist any British nationals in Morocco, or anyone concerned about a UK citizen in the quake-stricken country.
This comes after a London-based doctor went viral earlier in the week for flying out to Morocco to offer his medical services to anyone requiring assistance following the earthquake.
Un médecin est venu spécialement de Londres pour apporter de l'aide après avoir été notifié du séisme qui a frappé le Maroc.#séisme #maroc #londres pic.twitter.com/qavRgKSKos
— Hespress Français (@HespressFr) September 11, 2023
Three Red Cross volunteers killed in Libya amid devastating floods
Three Red Crescent volunteers have died while helping victims of devastating freak floods in the eastern Libya, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Tuesday.
"Heartbreaking news from Libya. Three volunteers from (the Libya Red Crescent) lost their lives while on duty helping families stranded by floods after Storm Daniel," IFRC chief Jagan Chapagain wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Morocco earthquake: Death toll continues to climb
At least 2,901 are now confirmed to be dead in Morocco, following a devastating 6.8-magnitue earthquake which struck the Marrakech region on Friday.
The latest figures were provided by Moroccan state television.
5,530 people are also injured, with scores confirmed to be in critical condition.
Race against time for rescuers to recover survivors in Morocco four days after earthquake
Hopes are dimming in Morocco's Atlas Mountains as search-and-rescue teams continue to plough through debris with the hopes of finding more survivors of Friday's devastating earthquake.
Local and international rescue teams were seen digging through rubble on Tuesday in the Atlas Mountains, where more than 2,800 people have been killed.
Morocco has allowed rescue teams to come to its aid from Spain, Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates but so far declined offers from several other nations, including the United States and Israel, according to AFP.
Albert Vasquez, the Spanish unit's communications officer, warned on Monday that "it's very difficult to find people alive after three days" but stressed that "hope is still there".
Libya's Derna buries at least 700 people as floods devastate country
Libya’s eastern city of Derna has laid 700 people to rest after they were killed in devastating floods in the aftermath of Storm Daniel, which ravaged the North African country on Sunday.
a10,000 were reported missing as rescuers teams struggled to retrieve many more bodies from the horrific deluge, officials said on Tuesday.
Authorities estimated earlier that as many as 2,000 people may have perished in Derna alone. Mediterranean storm Daniel on Sunday night caused havoc and flash flooding in many towns in eastern Libya but the worst destruction was in Derna, where heavy rainfall and floods broke dams and washed away entire neighborhoods, authorities said.
Ossama Hamad, prime minister of the government in eastern Libya, said that many of the missing were believed to have been carried away after two upstream dams burst. He said the devastation in Derna is far beyond the capabilities of his country.
Morocco accepts earthquake aid from Algeria despite regional tensions
Morocco has accepted neighbour Algeria's offer to allocate three aircraft to transport a rescue team of 93 personnel as well as humanitarian aid to the quake-hit country where at least 2,800 have been killed, according to French outlet Liberation on Monday.
The accepting of the offer was confirmed by Justice Minister Abddelatif Ouahbi according to Saudi-owned broadcaster Al-Arabiya.
"We favourably accept Algerian aid, but with coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said.
Morocco and Algeria have witnessed an increase of strained ties in recent years following Rabat's normalisation deal with Israel, as well as pre-exsiting tensions over the disputed Western Sahara territory.
Red Cross appeals for $100 million for Morocco earthquake
The Red Cross appealed on Tuesday for more than $100 million to provide desperately needed assistance in Morocco, days after a powerful earthquake killed nearly 2,900 people.
"We are seeking 100 million Swiss francs ($112 million) to be able to deliver on the most pressing needs at this time," Caroline Holt, global director of operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told reporters in Geneva.
She said the funds were needed for "health, water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter relief items and basic needs", stressing: "We need to make sure we avoid a second wave of disaster."
Search and rescue teams from Morocco and abroad continued on Tuesday to dig through the rubble of broken mud-brick homes, hoping for signs of life in a race against time.
The Marrakech-Safi earthquake on Friday has killed over 2,800 people in the provinces of Al Haouz , Taroudant and Chichaoua, which lay south of Marrakech, an important tourist hub in the North African country.
Turkey to send rescue aircraft to Libya amid Storm Daniel aftermath
Turkey is sending three aircraft to transport a rescue team and humanitarian aid to Libya, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after a massive flood caused by heavy rain killed 2,000 people in the city of Derna.
The rescue team will comprise 168 personnel, two search and rescue vehicles, and two rescue boats, President Tayyip Erdogan later said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The aircraft, also carrying hundreds of tents, generators, food, hygiene products and clothes, will depart for Benghazi in the morning, he said, adding that members of the gendarmerie and Turkey's disaster management agency (AFAD) would be among the rescuers.
(Reuters)
Red Cross officials say that 10,000 missing in Libya following Storm Daniel aftermath
The death toll following devastating floods caused by Storm Daniel in eastern Libya is expected to soar dramatically, Red Cross and Red Crescent officials confirmed on Tuesday.
"The death toll is huge and might reach thousands," Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told reporters in Geneva via video link from Tunis.
"We confirm from our independent sources of information that the number of missing people is hitting 10,000 persons so far," he continued.
At least 2,000 are thought to be dead, according to officials in the country's eastern government, while rescue teams have pulled hundreds of bodies so far.
تتجلى الدمار الهائل الناجم عن الفيضانات في المناطق الشرقية من البلاد من خلال المشاهد المروعة. تُظهر حجم الخسائر التي لحقت بالممتلكات والبنية التحتية، بعد ان تدمرت المنازل والمباني والطرق، وتغرق المناطق السكنية . يُعتبر هذا المشهد مؤلمًا ويحتاج إلى جهود جماعية لإعادة بناء وترميم pic.twitter.com/uCCQIO7vPA
— جمعية الهلال الأحمر الليبي (@LibyaRC) September 11, 2023
