By Valeria Lujan
The tropical cyclone, Storm Daniel, began on September 4th and made landfall in the North African country, Libya, on September 10, 2023. These severe weather conditions included heavy rainfall and intense winds. Benghazi, Al Bayda, Al Marj, Bath, Derna, and Sousa are all cities in Libya that experienced massive flooding. The storm caused two dams to burst and destroy many homes, other buildings, and bridges. These dam collapses sent over one billion cubic feet of water into areas that were already severely immersed in water. The Libyan Red Crescent has marked the death toll as high as 11,000. Derna, an Eastern city, was hit the worst, with over twenty-five percent of the city vanishing.
The flood has severely affected the children of Libya. Over three hundred fifty thousand children were exposed to the storm and this has posed a risk to many
children's welfare and health. The flood compromised safe water supplies which has increased the chance of cholera, diarrhea outbreaks, malnourishment, and dehydration. Organizations like UNICEF have integrated recovery efforts and are raising awareness and money to focus on people's health and education.
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