Libya: Media clampdown amidst a disaster

Misinformation and media restrictions add to the chaos in the flood-stricken city of Derna. Plus, preserving Nigeria’s past in print.

As the residents of the city of Derna count their dead, authorities in eastern Libya expel news crews from the city and evade scrutiny of their role in the disaster.

Libya flood: How the country's divide is hampering humanitarian aid efforts

 

Libya's Red Crescent says more than 11,000 people are now known to have died in floods in the city of Derna. Large parts of the coastal city were swept away after torrential rain caused two dams to burst. The UN said many of the deaths could have been avoided if Libya had a functioning weather agency. There are concerns about disease spreading, with many bodies still lying in the ruins. Some aid and foreign rescue teams have arrived in Libya, but with the country divided and roads washed away, international help is struggling to reach those in need.