Dozens of humanitarian planes carrying crucial medical and aid supplies landed one after the other at Benina airport in Benghazi on Friday, days after devastating floods left thousands dead.
While the road from the airport to the centre of Benghazi was eerily quiet, activity at the airport was ceaseless, with soldiers from the Libyan National Army co-ordinating the distribution of aid arriving in the country.
The UAE, as of Friday, has sent five planes carrying three rescue teams as well as urgent relief and medical aid as part of the air bridge set up to bring relief to the Libyan people.
The humanitarian aid plane that The National travelled on from Abu Dhabi had among its cargo a large number of medical supplies, including cetirizine hydrochloride tablets, which are used to treat allergic conditions such as skin rashes.
Doctors have warned that there is an increased risk of these as well as waterborne diseases and illnesses spread by mosquitoes following the floods.
“It’s unfortunate that we are finally welcoming many different delegations here in Benghazi at a very difficult time,” a commander of the Libyan National Army told The National.
“We’ve been working non-stop to co-ordinate the relief works arriving almost non-stop daily since the beginning of the week.”
Two dams collapsed amid exceptionally heavy rains during Mediterranean storm Daniel early on Monday, sending a wall of water several metres high gushing down a valley that cuts through the city of Derna.
The unusual flooding and Libya’s political chaos contributed to the enormous toll.
“Some lucky people were able to make it out of the city in anticipation of the storm but many of us have to admit that they stood no chance at making it out of Derna and the other coastal cities in time,” said Amr Mohammed, a resident of Benghazi who has been helping people leave the area following the floods.
“What the world has to realise that it is easy to play the blame game and say all this destruction could have been mitigated but Libya would have needed years, not days, to give those residents a chance at survival.”
Oil-rich Libya has been split since 2014 between rival governments in the east and west backed by various militia forces and international supporters.
As rescuers continue to arrive in Benghazi and make their way to the affected communities, they say their mission is to locate the dead and give them the dignity of a burial.
“I’ve never seen this scale of destruction. Although we’re trained at the highest levels at disaster and emergency response, we’re bracing ourselves for a mission of a lifetime to dig out any remaining survivors,” a member of the UAE’s search and rescue team told The National.
Bodies “are littering the streets, washing back up on shore and buried under collapsed buildings and debris”, said Bilal Sablouh, regional forensics manager for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“In just two hours, one of my colleagues counted over 200 bodies on the beach near Derna,” he said.
The recovery of bodies began to increase on Friday in the coastal city of Derna, the hardest hit by Storm Daniel.
“Rescue teams in the city of Derna were able to recover 47 people from under the rubble left by the devastating Storm,” Maj Omar Aguila, head of the rescue team at Libya’s civil defence – Umm Al Razm, said by phone from Derna.
Maj Aguila said that search and rescue teams were able to recover more than 100 bodies on Thursday.
In addition to the Libyan civil defence, rescue efforts across different cities continue, with teams from the UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Spain, Tunisia and Algeria operating in the country.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Henrik Stenson's finishes at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship:
2006 - 2
2007 - 8
2008 - 2
2009 - MC
2010 - 21
2011 - 42
2012 - MC
2013 - 23
2014 - MC
2015 - MC
2016 - 3
2017 - 8
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
More coverage from the Future Forum
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
More on Quran memorisation:
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
