Why the Libya floods are a human-made disaster

A dictator broke the country. The U.S. intervened, then walked away. The result? A failed state.

A view of damaged homes after the Mediterranean storm "Daniel" hit Libya's eastern city of Derna
Rescuers sift through mud and rubble in their search for people missing from the tsunami-sized flash flood that swept the Libyan port city of Derna, killing more than 3,000
(Image credit: Getty ImaABDULLAH DOMA / AFP via Getty Imagesges)

Flooding has devastated Libya. The Washington Post reported that as many as 20,000 people are dead in the eastern part of the country, killed by floodwaters so large — 23 feet tall at one point — and forceful that they “gouged asphalt from the sidewalks” and caved in buildings. “This disaster is of mythic proportions,” said one official. Observers say the horrors were avoidable, the result of the chaos that has dominated the country since the U.S.-backed overthrow of its dictator more than a decade ago. 

America and its NATO allies supported the uprising that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, CNN noted. Since 2014, Libya has been “split between two rival administrations” and that “fragmented state” hampered flood preparations — and may also make rescue and recovery efforts much less effective. “This disaster has the hand of man written all over it,” said one think tank observer in Tripoli. 

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.