Lifesaving aid for Libya

On 10 September 2023, Libya was struck by a catastrophe of biblical proportions. As Storm Daniel moved northeast across the Green Mountains region, it brought high winds, torrential rain and flash flooding to the Derna area, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. In the Derna area, heavy rains and flooding have overflowed two reservoirs and caused the dams to burst. In the port city of Derna, water broke through the dykes separating the city from the sea, and whole neighbourhoods were swept away. Even then, the first reports were about thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of missing people. As soon as we heard about the tragedy and received a request for help from the Libyan authorities, we contacted the national civilian search and rescue teams. Eventually, the Pest County Search and Rescue Service, the Budapest Rescue Service and the Inter Rescue Team went to the scene of the disaster with 37 people and 3 dogs. As part of the Hungary Helps Program, we provided financial support to the travelling teams, and the Hungarian Defence Forces helped them with their travel.