Libya flood disaster: scale of the catastrophe must bring the two warring factions together

• The death toll from the catastrophe is estimated at more than 11,000 with another 10,000 missing and feared dead.
• The former Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, regarded the city with distrust and deprived it of basic resources and infrastructure.
• From 2015 to 2018 the city was besieged by Libya’s eastern warlord Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA).
• In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, Derna’s deputy mayor admitted the dams had not been maintained since 2002.

Divided country

• The situation in Libya is exacerbated by the fact that in the civil war that followed the fall of Gaddafi, the country has essentially become split in half.
• The east is administered from Tobruk by a National Assembly, established in 2014 and headed by prime minister Osama Hamad.
• And even once that is given, the task is made more difficult by the fact that bridges and roads connecting the two parts of the country have been badly damaged in the civil war.

An opportunity to work together?

• Despite the historic level of animosity between east and west, there have been precedents where the rival have been forced to cooperate on shared interests.
• Earlier this year, the rival administrations agreed to form a committee to manage the distribution of oil revenues which form the backbone of Libya’s economy.
• Countries that want to help the Libyan citizens most affected will have to work with the Haftar-backed leadership.
• Far-fetched as this may seem, it could be a valuable learning experience for both sides.