Libya bore the catastrophic brunt of Storm Daniel on 11 September, as floodwater swelled and dams burst, leaving the city of Derna and its surrounding areas and people in a state of devastation. A staggering 15 percent of the city’s population has died or is missing.
“In some cases, whole neighbourhoods were carried away to the middle of the sea, along with the people inside them,” says Ahmad Algeriany, program officer, UNFPA Libya. “Entire families have been wiped out.”
UNFPA is supporting mobile medical teams, maternity wards, psychosocial teams and safe spaces to mitigate the risk of unsafe births, unmet family planning and violence towards women and girls, all of which increase during a crisis.
Magnum photographer Moises Saman met some of the people affected, as well as those working to support them, in these unprecedented circumstances.
“When a new baby is delivered at the hospital, it brings a sense of joy and hope amid the challenging circumstances,” – Dr. Anwar, a gynaecologist at Derna's main maternity hospital
“The women I am encountering at the hospital are in great need of psychosocial support. Many appear emotionally shattered, particularly those who are pregnant, as they are coping with the loss of relatives and housing." – Dr. Anwar
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