The revised report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicates a change in the death toll caused by the floods in Libya. According to the UN, at least 3,958 individuals have perished due to the flooding, as reported by the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, the updated report reveals that over 9,000 individuals are currently unaccounted for.
Volunteers in hazmat suits scan the sea for dead bodies in Derna, Libya.
Sarah Sirgany/CNN
Derna valley was once a 'paradise.' Now there's nothing left but devastation
According to the initial report released on Saturday by OCHA, a minimum of 11,300 individuals have tragically lost their lives in Derna, Libya, as a result of severe flooding. The Libyan Red Crescent provided the figures for the report, which were confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO), as stated by Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, during an interview with CNN on Sunday.
The Libyan Red Crescent Society informed CNN earlier on Sunday that it did not provide the UN with the accurate number of deaths caused by flooding in Derna. When questioned about the inaccurate citation of the death toll by the UN, Haq stated that it is common for numbers to be revised in various tragic events, which is also the case here.
Haq explained that it is standard procedure for us to collaborate with various entities in order to ensure that our numbers are thoroughly verified. The reason behind these revisions is always the cross-checking of our numbers. Additionally, the deputy spokesman emphasized that the death toll figures remain dynamic, with the possibility of both increasing or decreasing.
