An inside account of devastation and survival in the Libya floods
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A damaged vehicle is stuck debris after the floods caused by the Storm Daniel ravaged Derna, Libya on September 12.Abdullah Mohammed Bonja / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images -
The city of Derna is seen on Tuesday after the devastating floods.Jamal Alkomaty / AP
Two dams collapsed and whole neighborhoods were washed away after a storm slammed the city of Derna, Libya and others along the Mediterranean coast this week.
The extent of the damage still isn't known, but so far at least 5,000 people have been confirmed dead and thousands more are still missing.
Huda Akram is a doctor based in Benghazi, Libya, whose family hails from Derna. She spoke to All Things Considered's Mary Louise Kelly on Wednesday, describing the harrowing scenes and what is happening now.
This interview contains details that are vivid and disturbing.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview highlights
Mary Louise Kelly: May I begin by asking after your family — have you been able to reach them? Are they OK?
Huda Akram: Oh, well, my uncles and my aunts, they're fine, both from my mother's and my father's side. But my grandmother, unfortunately, did not make it, with my aunt.
Kelly: I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
Akram: But her son survived, though. At first, we heard there's a storm coming. We thought it's just a [bit] of rain, people can seek shelter on the rooftops of their houses. But then as things started to get bad, started to become worse, we heard that the dam collapsed. However, we only saw the footage. Even after we heard the dam collapse, we couldn't even imagine that it would be this bad.
It's just in split seconds. People who are anticipating, they managed to warn the others to run. And my cousin was telling me, "We were running and the water was just running after us." And they stayed there on the rooftop — they were holding on because the water was also pushing them. There's a lot of people [whose] entire households, entire family name from the grandfather to the husband and wives and grandchildren [were] completely wiped.
Kelly: I mentioned you're a doctor, you're a psychiatrist. So you will be thinking about this in terms of how on earth you process something like this, how do you deal with the shock now and the trauma that's to come. Is that right?
Akram: Yes. I mean, we have a lot of PTSD. We deal with a lot of PTSD soldiers from all the armed conflicts before. And nothing compares to this. I could not imagine that we ever saw patients who — I mean, my cousin there, he's six or seven, he's just mute. He's just mute. He literally saw his mother die in front of him. He was hanging on to a tree while my aunt and my grandmother drowned. And drowning in your own house being stuck is ... is ugly. It just keeps haunting you how they must have felt while they were seeing [and] anticipating their death.
Kelly: I want people to understand that what you're describing — an unspeakably awful situation — is made worse by the instability that Libya has experienced in recent years, political instability. What are you hearing about relief efforts, about trying to get help to people who desperately need it?
Akram: Yes, but the thing is that it's a very small town, and people are always helping each other. Like, for us, we will host our uncles and aunts. My other uncle has an apartment here in Benghazi. So it's all about, like, family and connections and people hosting each other. Because every person here has a relative there. The connection between Benghazi and Derna is very strong, and there's always family members back and forth hosting. However, I hear help is going there, but no one is telling us that they're actually receiving the help.
Kelly: Are you hearing anything from the government? Is there anything emerging in terms of leadership through this crisis?
Akram: Well, in all honesty, this town has been receiving millions of millions in budget for maintenance and infrastructure. And there has been a special budget for the dam. But it was never actually spent. It was never spent for that purpose. We don't know where that money goes. It's just the money goes and we don't see it on the ground. And I was waiting for someone to apologize, or someone to resign, or someone to be even forcefully fired — no one did. The governor, the local governor of the city, said, "Well, we asked them to evacuate and, you know, it's just God's will." That's all he ever said. I don't know how he is not being held accountable for this. No one is being held accountable. They're treating this as if it's a natural disaster. It's not a natural disaster, it's man. It's negligence.
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Transcript
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
We are still learning the extent of the devastation in Libya after a storm slammed the coastal city of Derna. Two dams collapsed. Whole neighborhoods washed away. So far, at least 5,000 people have been confirmed dead. Thousands more are missing. Dr. Huda Akram is a doctor based in Benghazi, Libya, but her family hails from Derna. And when we reached her today, I started by asking about them. A warning - the details of what she told me are vivid and disturbing.
May I begin by asking after your family? Have you been able to reach them? Are they OK?
HUDA AKRAM: Well, my uncles and my aunts - they're fine, both from my mother's and my father's side. But my grandmother, unfortunately, did not make it with my aunt.
KELLY: I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
AKRAM: But her son survived, though. At first, we heard there was a storm coming. We thought it's just a couple of rain. People can seek shelter on the rooftops of their houses. But then, things started to become worse, and we heard that the dam collapsed. However, even after we heard the dam collapsed, we couldn't even imagine that it would be this bad. And people had to leave the city, and they wrote names on - whoever can identify, they were writing lists of names and posting them on Facebook just so people can know about their families. Are they alive? Are they dead? Are they missing?
KELLY: So your aunts, your uncles who you said are OK - they have left the city. Can you describe what they're telling you of what that voyage was - of what's happening now?
AKRAM: First when we heard about it, it was late at night. We knew that my grandmother was staying in the downtown, where the flood was happening. My father and my uncle drove all the way there, but they didn't even get the chance to see them or bury them. The Army took pictures, and they were sharing them with the family to confirm the death. My father and my uncle were driving there, and they heard the news while they were on their way there. And they're there right now. There's no electricity. There's no water. They're all gathered in - you know, relatives in the same house, just comforting each other.
KELLY: Yeah.
AKRAM: But they haven't left yet. There are still - everyone is grieving and trying to figure out what to do next or where to go.
KELLY: My heart just goes out to your family, and I'm thinking of - given the death toll, given the numbers, there must be so many families who are getting the kind of news you have just gotten. Are you in touch with others?
AKRAM: Yes, of course my grandmother's house - they survived miraculously because my cousin was on the rooftop, and she was warning them to go upstairs into the building. It's just - in split seconds, people who were anticipating - they managed to warn the others to run. And my cousin was telling me - we were running, and the water was just running after us. And they stayed there on the rooftop. And they were holding on because the water was also pushing them. And they're - these are - like, there's a lot of people who are dead - entire households - the entire family name, from the grandfather to the husband and wives and grandchildren - completely wiped.
KELLY: Yeah. I mentioned you're a doctor. You're a psychiatrist. So you will be thinking about this in terms of how on earth you process something like this. How do you deal with the shock now and the trauma that's to come - is that right?
AKRAM: Yes. I mean, we have a lot of PTSD. We deal with a lot of PTSD soldiers from all the armed conflicts before. And I - there's - nothing compares to this. I could not imagine that we ever saw patients who - I mean, my cousin there - he's 6 or 7. He's just mute. He's just mute. He literally saw his mother die in front of him. He was hanging onto a tree while my aunt and my grandmother drowned. And it's just - drowning is so - in your own house, being stuck is ugly. It's just - it keeps haunting you how they must have felt while they were seeing - anticipating their death.
KELLY: I want people to understand that what is - what you're describing, an unspeakably awful situation, is made worse by the instability that Libya has experienced in recent years - political instability. What are you hearing about relief efforts - about trying to get help to people who desperately need it?
AKRAM: I hear help is going there, but I - nobody - no one is telling us that they're actually receiving help.
KELLY: That is Dr. Huda Akram speaking to us from Benghazi in Libya. Dr. Akram, thank you for your time. I'm so sorry.
AKRAM: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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