The Libyan Floods with Mohamed Abu Breeg

World Extreme Medicine Podcast

In this episode, we will hear from Mohamed Abu Breeg about the recent flooding in and around the Libyan coastal city of Derna. In the early hours of Sept. 11, residents of Derna woke up to loud explosions before floodwaters swept through the Mediterranean city. This was due to heavy rain fall and the breeching of two dams releasing 3 million cubic litres of water. This wall of water was up to two stories high and swept entire neighbourhoods out to sea. The deluge proved deadly for thousands in just seconds, uprooting apartment buildings and washing away roads and bridges.

Libya’s Red Crescent has said at least 11,300 people have been killed and an additional 10,000 are missing. After earlier reporting that same death toll, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is now citing about 11000 people killed and 9,000 missing.

Joining us to give insights on the ground is Mohamed Abu Breeg. Mohamed is originally from Sirte in Libya, following the 2011 civil war he actively collaborated with Save the Children to contribute to post-war recovery efforts. In 2013, during the challenging period of Ansar Al Sharia's control in Sirte, Mohamed worked in security operations with a French company at the city's main power plant. He has seen the emergence of ISIS in Sirte and the subsequent arrival of Derna ISIS in 2015. In August 2015, as a result of ISIS, Mohamed become an internally displaced person (IDP) within Libya. He became an integral part of the LTI4 project, where our collective efforts were dedicated to post-conflict rehabilitation. He currently serves as a security consultant for the region.

You can find more out about Mohamed here