More than 8.7 million tonnes of debris from destroyed and damaged buildings require removal in the eastern Libyan city of Derna, the UN said in a report.

Derna was recently hit by deadly floods along with other areas in the region, and as of September 30, 42,045 people were displaced from areas affected by the floods.

Most Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are currently located in Libya’s northeastern municipalities, according to the report from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 

The report revealed that floods caused significant damage to housing and building infrastructure across the affected areas in northeastern Libya, adding that health was the most frequently highlighted need besides shelter.

Several schools in Derna remain occupied by IDPs or have been otherwise re-purposed for emergency response, while school principals are working for a swift resumption of education in the schools, added the report.

According to UNICEF, 98 schools in 14 municipalities remain closed due to damage in the floods and additional funding will be required for their rehabilitation.

Derna, located about 1,300 km east of Libya’s capital, Tripoli, suffered more destruction and casualties than any other city or town in the region, mainly due to the collapse of the city’s two dams during the storm.

On September 25, the attorney general started an investigation into the failure to maintain the two dams despite allocating sufficient funds for the maintenance.

(Xinhua/NAN)