What Happened in Derna (Online event, 5 October 2023)

The tragedy that befell the eastern Libyan city of Derna shocked the world. Heavy rain broke the city’s dams and a flash flood deluged the town in the early hours of 11 September, resulting in an estimated 20,000 deaths. It is too early to draw a firm conclusion as to what provoked the dams’ collapse — whether neglect due to years of civil war and political chaos compounded a natural calamity. But Libyans want answers. In this webinar, Crisis Group analyst Claudia Gazzini and CNN international correspondent Jomana Karadsheh Scott, who visited Derna in the immediate aftermath, offer some preliminary considerations on what happened that tragic night, what they witnessed and what could have been done to prevent this tragedy.

Moderator: Christina Boutros, Senior Communications and Advocacy Officer, Middle East and North Africa