Country struggles to cope with thousands of bodies decaying under debris while aid groups urge authorities to stop burying flood victims in mass graves, saying these could cause health risks if located near water.
A view shows the damaged areas, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya, on September 13, 2023. / Photo: Reuters
The World Health Organization [WHO] and other aid groups urged authorities in Libya to stop burying flood victims in mass graves, saying these could bring long-term mental distress to families or cause health risks if located near water. Ibrahim al Arabi, health minister in Libya's Tripoli-based western government, told the Reuters news agency he was certain groundwater was polluted with water mixed up with corpses, dead animals, refuse and chemical substances."We urge people not to approach the wells in Derna," he said.