The UAE will send urgent aid as well as search and rescue teams to Libya amid deadly floods that may have killed up to 2,000 people in the east of the country, President Sheikh Mohamed has confirmed.
The assistance will support Libya's efforts to mitigate the damage caused by flooding from Storm Daniel, according to a readout from Wam news agency.
“His Highness expressed his sincere condolences and sympathy to the State of Libya, its people and the families of the victims of this tragedy, wishing a speedy recovery for all the injured,” it said.
As many as 2,000 people are feared dead after Storm Daniel caused devastating floods that swept away entire neighbourhoods and wrecked homes in a number of coastal towns, Prime Minister Ossama Hamad, head of Libya's Tripoli-based government, said on Monday.
At least 150 people have been confirmed dead, according to the Libyan Red Crescent, which expects the death toll to rise to 250.
The reason for wildly differing estimates is unknown.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, sent condolences to Libya on Monday.
“May God protect Libya and its people from all harm … and maintain their security and safety,” he wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The UAE will remain beside its brothers at all times.”
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, also sent his condolences.
“Our sincere condolences to our people in Libya for the victims of the hurricane and catastrophic floods, and we ask God for a speedy recovery for those injured,” he wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“May God protect Libya and its people from all harm.”
The floods deal a heavy blow to a country already mired by long-term conflict which has seen it divided under two ruling powers.
“I was able to flee with my family this morning,” Saleh Al Obaidi, a resident of the eastern city of Derna, told Reuters. He added that houses near a valley in the city had collapsed.
“People were asleep and woke up and found their homes surrounded by water.”
Entire residential blocks were erased along Wadi Derna, a river that runs down from the mountains through the city centre, AP reported.
Multi-storey apartment buildings partially collapsed into the mud, while local media reported power cuts across the city.
Essam Abu Zeriba, the interior minister of the east Libya government, said more than 5,000 people were thought to be missing in Derna. He said many of the victims were swept away towards the Mediterranean.
Destruction was also reported in Benghazi, Sousse and Al Bayda, where deaths have also been recorded.
A spokesman from the Libyan Presidential Council announced a three-day mourning period on Monday afternoon.
The UAE Foreign Ministry has also sent its condolences to Libya, while Qatar and Tunisia will also provide aid to flood-ravaged areas.
Storm Daniel wreaked havoc in Greece, where experts described the storm as a “once-in-a-millennium phenomenon”.
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Paris%20Agreement
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