Libya Flood Leaves More Than 100 Syrians Dead

A tragic flash flood in Libya's eastern city of Derna last week has not only resulted in thousands of casualties but has also taken a heavy toll on Syrian families who had sought refuge in the war-torn country. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, over 100 Syrians, including entire families, lost their lives in the devastating flood, while more than 100 are still missing. The flood, triggered by the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel on September 10, has claimed nearly 3,300 lives in total. For many Syrians, the journey from their war-torn homeland to Libya, which has become a launchpad for migrants attempting to reach Europe by sea, was a desperate one. Khaled Ali, a Syrian construction worker from Daraa province, recounted the tragic loss of his nephews, their wives, and six children, including a six-month-old baby, in the flood. His nephews, Hadi and Mahmoud, had initially sought refuge in Lebanon when Syria's war began in 2011 but later fled to Libya as their country's economy crumbled in late 2019. "We fled from one crisis to another," lamented Khaled, encapsulating the grim reality faced by many Syrian refugees. Families of those missing in the disaster have taken to Facebook, sharing photographs of their loved ones and desperately seeking information about their whereabouts. For some, like Ibrahim Qalaaji, the news has been heartbreaking. He held a funeral for eight relatives, including his brother Mohammed, who are either confirmed dead or missing in the flood. Tragically, this disaster has added to the long list of hardships faced by Syrians over the past 12 years. Syria's ongoing war, which has claimed the lives of over 500,000 people and displaced millions, has left many with shattered lives and uncertain futures, exemplified by those who fled to Libya only to face this new catastrophe.