Derna— A new housing project that includes 2000 modern units was inaugurated in Derna in eastern Libya on Thursday in an effort to rebuild the city after it was destroyed by Storm Daniel in September 2023.
The inauguration, which was attended by the Commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and the Speaker of the Parliament Aguila Saleh along with senior government officials and community leaders, represents the ongoing efforts to rebuild the city and bring it back to high life standards.
The housing project, which is located in the Al-Salam neighborhood, has been built according to the latest international standards and specifications by the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund (LDRF) is now being handed over to citizens.
During his speech, PM Osama Hammad emphasized that the project comes within the framework of supporting stability and completing housing projects for those affected in Derna, noting that the development drive and programs across Libya depend solely on national will and national financial resources.
Hammad said “Derna represents a national model for recovery and reconstruction, thanks to the integrated efforts of state institutions, which will contribute to restoring the city’s well-being and prominence.”
In the middle of the night on 10 September 2023, the torrential rains resulted from Storm Daniel caused the destruction of two dams near the city and swept the third of the city’s buildings to the sea.
The death toll of the storm is estimated to have reached over 20,000 people and thousands of bodies went uncovered. The storm also caused the displacement of over 40,000 more people.
Storm Daniel, also known as Cyclone Daniel, was an erratic, weak but catastrophic tropical cyclone that became the deadliest Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone in recorded history, according to sources on the internet.
In Derna, the storm caused two dams, Abu Mansour and Belad, to collapse releasing an estimated 30 million cubic meters of water causing the overflow of Wadi Derna banks by up to 50 meters on each side. It carried hundreds of multistory buildings into the sea as the people were sleeping in their beds.
