Libya: Need for Unity After Deadly Floods, UN Envoy

On Sunday, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily stressed the need for coordinated national action to overcome the current crisis in Libya, following the deadly floods that hit its eastern part earlier this month.

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E. Libya: +43,000 Displaced by Floods, IOM

Bathily made the remarks during a meeting with Khalifa Haftar, commander of the eastern-based Libyan army, in the eastern city of Benghazi, where they discussed ongoing relief efforts in the disaster-stricken areas.

"I reiterated my call for all stakeholders to build on the extraordinary solidarity and unity Libyans have shown at these difficult times and to step up efforts towards holding elections and unifying national institutions to better address future challenges," the UN official said on a post on the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after the meeting.

"I stressed the necessity to grant full access to UN agencies and aid organizations working to alleviate the suffering of affected people," Bathily added.

On Sept 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel triggered the largest and worst floods in decades in eastern Libya. Thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands displaced, while the region's infrastructure was severely damaged.

According to official data, Libya has been in a political stalemate since the overthrow of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with two rival governments and a number of foreign powers intervening in the conflict.

The political impasse has had a devastating impact on the country, with an ailing economy, damaged infrastructure, and millions of people displaced.