By Athena Papakosta

Authorities estimate up to 20,000 dead in Libya, which is experiencing an unimaginable disaster after the passage of bad weather Daniel. The port city of Derna is devastated, full of ruins and dead. One of the two dams that failed and broke from the deadly storm, according to a country official, had not been maintained for some time.

The divided north African country after years of lawlessness, armed conflict and civil strife cannot face a natural disaster since Libya’s two rival, parallel governments cannot respond immediately and in a coordinated manner.

After the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, the oil-rich country “broke” in two. Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeiba leads the Government of National Unity based in Tripoli from 2021. It is recognized by the UN and supported by Turkey.

At the same time, in the east of Libya and Tobruk under Osama Hamad, the country’s parallel government is established, which is controlled by Marshal Khalifa Haftar, former general of Muammar Gaddafi and later his enemy, who leads the self-proclaimed National Army of Libya, the main military force in the eastern part of the country and is supported by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

As of 2020, Libya remains mired in a fierce civil war with Haftar’s forces trying to capture Tripoli but eventually withdrawing after Turkey provided military support to the internationally recognized Government of National Unity.

Since the conflicts, at least 135,000 citizens of the country have been forced to leave their homes and more than 800,000 are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to figures from the United Nations. In addition, the cost of living has risen, there are shortages of medicine and Libya’s infrastructure is crumbling.

Indicative of the chaos is the fact that the two governments of the country each announced different measures, while all the countries that would like to send aid to Libya after the disaster faced difficulties during their negotiations with the two warring sides.

A glimmer of hope was born when Tripoli sent a plane with 14 tons of medical supplies and body bags as well as more than 80 doctors to the east of the country. Some questioned whether this kind of cooperation between the two “camps” could lead to the two governments putting aside their differences and forming a government in the country, ending its self-destruction.

For now the scenes of ancient tragedy continue in neighborhoods and districts that no longer exist.