Destroyed buildings and houses in Derna, Libya, in the aftermath of Storm Daniel. Reuters
Destroyed buildings and houses in Derna, Libya, in the aftermath of Storm Daniel. Reuters
Destroyed buildings and houses in Derna, Libya, in the aftermath of Storm Daniel. Reuters
Destroyed buildings and houses in Derna, Libya, in the aftermath of Storm Daniel. Reuters

Libyan authorities divide Derna to contain potential disease outbreaks


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Libyan authorities have divided the flood-stricken city of Derna into four sections to create buffers in case of disease outbreaks, as search, rescue and recovery operations continue.

The UN has since revised down a death toll of 11,000, saying that 4,000 people were probably killed in Storm Daniel, which struck the eastern city last week. About 9,000 remain missing.

With a lack of sanitation and collapsed infrastructure, fears are growing that diseases such as cholera will spread. Residents have been told to wear face masks and stay away from the water, as bodies continue to wash up on shore.

“Now the affected areas are completely isolated, the armed forces and the government have begun creating a buffer out of fear of the spread of diseases or epidemics,” Ossama Hamad, one of the country's rival prime ministers, said in a telephone interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV.

Protesters have been demanding that officials be held accountable for neglecting maintenance work after two dams broke during the storm, causing flooding that inundated a quarter of the city.

The World Health Organisation has warned local aid workers against the burial of flood victims in mass graves – as was done in the first few days after the flooding – to prevent contamination of the water.

At least 150 people have been treated after drinking unsafe water.

Authorities have sent humanitarian teams to the city but have struggled to respond to the large-scale disaster. The recovery operation, with help from international teams, has been poorly co-ordinated, and residents say aid distribution has been uneven.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Secretary General Antonio Guterres spoke on the disaster, saying: “Just nine days ago, many of the world’s challenges coalesced in an awful hellscape.

“Thousands of people in Derna, Libya lost their lives in epic, unprecedented flooding.”

Gertrude Bell's life in focus

A feature film

At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.

A documentary

A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.

Books, letters and archives

Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
 

While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday

AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)

Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)

Benevento v Parma (5pm)

Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)

Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)

Lazio v Spezia (5pm)

Napoli v Crotone (5pm)

Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)

Torino v Juventus (8pm)

Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

LIGUE 1 FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)

Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)

Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)

The essentials

What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

When: Friday until March 9

Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City

Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.

Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.

Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
 

Updated: September 19, 2023, 4:01 PM`