The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, confirmed that 900,000 people in Libya were affected by the floods, in addition to 300,000 people already in need of humanitarian aid.
The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator said in a briefing to reporters from the United Nations headquarters in Geneva that some in Libya lost 50 members of their families at once.
The UN official described the disaster in Libya as “terrifying and shocking, and its consequences cannot be imagined.”
He pointed out that “climate and capabilities collided to produce this terrible tragedy” in Libya, and considered it “an extremely shocking and tremendous reminder” of climate change and its existence.
The UN official also stressed the need for psychological and social care, which he described as a “big issue” given the extent of the trauma caused by the disaster.
