Iran says ready to send relief aid to flood-hit Libya

“The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its readiness to send relief aid and dispatch medical assistance and supplies to [flood-] stricken areas,” Raeisi wrote in a message addressed to Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah on Tuesday, while offering condolences to the Libyan nation.

The storm and devastating flooding in vast parts of the country, which left a number of people dead, injured or missing, has been deeply touching and saddening, Raeisi said.

On behalf of the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, he also sympathized with the bereaved families.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also sympathized with the Libyan government and the nation over the deadly storm and flooding.

Amir-Abdollahian expressed compassion over the death and injury of thousands of people in Libya following the storm and flooding. Iran’s top diplomat wrote on X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, that he too personally offered his condolences.

Meanwhile, the head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society (IRCS) also wrote a message to Omar Agouda, the president of Libyan Red Crescent Society, offering to help the flood-hit country.

“In this difficult situation, on behalf of the IRCS and myself, I would like to express my condolences to you and your colleagues in the Libyan Red Crescent and announce our readiness to send humanitarian relief aid, relief items as well as dispatch medical and relief teams to assist the flood-affected people and [help with] the humanitarian operation in Libya,” Pir-Hossein Kolivand said.

Authorities in eastern Libya say as many as 2,300 people have been killed and thousands more gone missing after a raging flood ripped through the city of Derna following a heavy storm and rain and the collapse of two dams.

The head of Libya’s Emergency and Ambulance authority, Osama Aly, explained that after the two dams burst “all of the water headed to an area near Derna, which is a mountainous coastal area.”

According to Aly, residences situated in valleys were swept away by forceful muddy currents that carried vehicles and debris.

Ahmed Mismari, the spokesperson for the Libyan National Army (LNA) that controls eastern Libya, claimed that 5,000 to 6,000 had gone missing.

Meanwhile, countries worldwide are sending humanitarian aid to Libya, where rescue teams are working diligently to locate survivors amidst the debris and rubble.

“The United Nations in Libya is closely following the emergency caused by severe weather conditions in the eastern region of the country,” stated the United Nations Support Mission in Libya in a post on X.

The rain experienced over the weekend is attributed to the residual effects of a strong low-pressure system, officially named Storm Daniel by the national meteorological services in southeastern Europe.

This storm caused severe flooding in Greece before moving into a tropical cyclone, causing dangerous conditions in the Mediterranean Sea and coastal regions.

The remnants of this storm are currently impacting northern Libya and are expected to move eastward towards northern Egypt gradually.

The anticipated rainfall for the next two days could exceed 50 mm, a significant increase from the average of less than 10 mm recorded in this region throughout September.