In the coastal city of Derna, Libya, thousands of people were forced to flee their homes in the early hours of September 12, 2023, after catastrophic flooding destroyed nearly 25% of the city. Storm Daniel had made landfall in the country two days before, bringing strong winds and months’ worth of rainfall in a matter of hours.
The following day, two dams upstream from Derna collapsed, releasing 30 million cubic meters of water that ripped through the city. Since that harrowing time, communities have begun to recover, finding strength and resilience as they rebuild their lives.
International Medical Corps, which has been in Libya for more than a decade, was the first international humanitarian organization to arrive in the country after conflict erupted there in early 2011. We have provided healthcare services to millions since. In the wake of Storm Daniel, our team immediately sprang into action.
After conducting a needs assessment, we deployed 12 emergency medical teams (EMTs) to support 30 health facilities in eight municipalities, bringing lifesaving health services to displaced people and flood-affected communities.
“International Medical Corps swiftly responded to the flooding crisis by providing essential healthcare services and supporting health facilities,” says Talal Burnaz, International Medical Corps’ Country Director in Libya. “However, the need is still there, and it is crucial to maintain this level of support during the recovery phase while strengthening the healthcare system to ensure continued service for the affected population.”
Helping children walk again through physiotherapy
Over the past year, International Medical Corps has provided more than 35,000 healthcare consultations to people in need. One of those people was seven-year-old Muhammad, who was born with cerebral palsy and unable to walk without pain. Dr. Mira Alfakhri, an International Medical Corps physiotherapist who deployed with an EMT, provided physiotherapy sessions.
Another physiotherapist, Dr. Safa Daw, helped four-year-old Abdulaziz walk again after a car accident severely damaged his legs, leading to multiple surgeries on his knees.
“Before the physiotherapy sessions with Dr. Safa, Abdulaziz was unable to stand without severe pain,” says Ali, Abdulaziz’s father. “Now, after several sessions, he is walking on his own.”
Delivering WASH services
International Medical Corps also delivered more than 10 million liters of clean, safe water to flood-affected communities and rehabilitated water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, including increasing water storage, at 11 health facilities.
Ahmed* lost several family members in the flood, including his wife and two of his children. Now, he lives with his only son. After the floods, they moved to temporary accommodations that didn’t have access to water, forcing them to buy costly water bottles. They struggled with minimal water use and had concerns about their hygiene.
“We couldn’t use the house bathroom for almost 15 days,” Ahmed explains. “And we fully relied on water bottles for drinking water.”
International Medical Corps recognized the critical need for safe water and hygiene services in Derna. In addition to launching a water trucking program, we installed 32 water tanks across the city, each with a capacity of 2,000 liters.
We initially focused on the Alsahil area of Derna, where Ahmed and his son live, because of the area’s poor infrastructure and sanitation crisis. Our team installed a water tank, which now gets filled every week, near Ahmed’s house.
“International Medical Corps was the first organization to help us with this,” says Ahmed. “Water is the basis of life, and you gave me that.”
Over the past year, International Medical Corps’ WASH interventions have reached more than 21,400 people in Libya. Our team includes Tayseer El-Haj and Dr. Rowayda Kalfah, who themselves survived the flooding in Derna, served as emergency first responders and are now International Medical Corps WASH promoters.
Providing mental health care in the aftermath of disaster
As part of the emergency health team, International Medical Corps deployed mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) counselors and case managers who provided psychological first-aid services and training, individual and group consultations, and outreach and awareness initiatives. Since the flooding, the team has provided more than 700 in-person MHPSS consultations.
Abdulla* is a 9-year-old boy whose immediate family died in the floods. Displaced by the floods, he and his grandmother moved to Misrata, which is in northwestern Libya about 1,130 km (705 miles) from Derna.
Abdulla’s grandmother noticed some disturbances in his behavior and demeanor, such as stuttering, isolating himself from others, sleep disturbances and scattered thoughts. She requested assistance from Fatima Sanallah, an International Medical Corps MHPSS Counselor.
His grandmother explained that Abdulla had never been seen by a mental health professional because mental health services were not available in Derna or Misrata. Fatima began meeting with Abdulla every week.
“Thank God, Abdulla’s mood has improved,” his grandmother said. “Now, he sleeps well and looks forward to Sunday, when he will meet with Fatima. I noticed that he doesn’t come home from school upset and complaining about his fellow students.”
International Medical Corps also collaborated with local authorities to operate the national mental health hotline. We recruited operators and counselors to provide remote MHPSS services, including psychological counseling, stress management and, for those who require advanced interventions, referrals for specialized services.
“International Medical Corps makes it possible for me to provide critical, remote mental health services to people in need, even if they are more than 1,000 kilometers away,” explains Dr. Sameh Aboumeswag, an International Medical Corps MHPSS counselor.
Our team has received almost 7,300 calls so far through the MHPSS national hotline and has provided remote MHPSS consultations to more than 600 people.
As communities continue to recover from Storm Daniel, International Medical Corps’ commitment to the people of Libya remains strong. We continue to serve vulnerable communities across the country despite ongoing conflict and the risk of natural disasters and outbreaks of disease. Our teams are also providing vital healthcare services to refugees from the war in Sudan.
Learn more about our work in Libya and donate to International Medical Corps today to help crisis-affected people around the world.
*Name changed to protect privacy.