The Government of National Unity (GNU) has announced that September 11th will be observed annually as a national day of mourning in memory of the victims of the catastrophic floods that struck Derna and surrounding areas.
This decision was made by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the disaster.
In a similar move, the head of the east-based parallel government, Osama Hamad, declared September 11th a public holiday and day of mourning, marking the first anniversary of Storm Daniel, which led to the tragedy.
The disaster occurred in September 2023 when unprecedented rainfall triggered by Storm Daniel caused devastating floods that wiped out entire neighbourhoods in Derna.
The collapse of the city's dams unleashed torrents of water into residential areas, claiming the lives of 4,352 people and leaving more than 8,000 others missing, according to official figures.
