Rising Above the Storm: Stories of Loss, Resilience, and Rebuilding in Derna

Over the Rubble

He sat on the crumpled remains of a car, twisted and bent by the merciless floodwaters that had ravaged his village. The metal beneath him groaned under the weight of his grief, as if it, too, mourned the lives lost.

He pointed to the ruin opposite him. “This entire family is gone,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of unspeakable loss.

“Have you lost anyone?” we asked.

His eyes filled with tears, and he nodded, his hand trembling as he pointed to one side of the ruin. “I lost six family members here.” His voice broke, and he gestured in another direction, “Five more over there,” he paused, his breath catching in his throat before he finally added, his voice barely a whisper, “and my mother.”

He clenched his fists, struggling to maintain his composure, the pain of his loss evident in every line of his face. He paused to hold back the sobs.

Finally, he spoke again, his voice filled with quiet resolve, “Everything can be replaced but my mother.”

As we witness the aftermath of Storm-Daniel, not only homes and buildings has been destroyed but lives, and entire families have been swept away

Healing Together

"It was an extremely difficult night, and the rain was heavy. The rain didn’t stop that night, and we had never seen such rain in Derna before. We lost contact with my father, and then the news started coming to us one by one. that those who didn’t leave the area where our house was located are missing, and bodies are everywhere." Nouria painfully recalls

Nouria and her best friend Basent, both 10 years old, stand side by side in the streets of Derna, Libya, where their lives were forever changed by the devastating floods caused by Storm Daniel on September 10, 2023. Nouria lost her father that night, a tragedy that has left a deep scar on her young heart. Basent, though not directly impacted by the loss of a family member, grieves alongside her friend, reflecting on the man who always greeted them with a smile and encouraged their studies.

Crises and natural disasters are among the most important factors that play a pivotal role in a child's mental health. A child's feelings of fear and anxiety can lead to psychological trauma if not addressed in a scientific and educational manner.

This photo captures the children resilience and the deep friendship that helps them navigate the aftermath of the disaster. With the support of a UNICEF-led psychological support team, children like Nouria and Basent are slowly finding ways to heal, learning to adapt to the changes in their lives, and even setting new goals for the future. The importance of such support cannot be overstated, as it provides them with the tools they need to cope with trauma and begin rebuilding their lives.

Journey of Loss, Hope, and Rebuilding

“Every day we wake up to the trauma of what happened, as if it's on replay. We remember the old Derna. We want to coexist with the pain and memories of those we lost while rebuilding our city,” says Yasmin, a young entrepreneur and civil society activist from Derna. Although she survived the tragic floods with her immediate family, thanks to their home being on higher ground, she lost over 30 members of her extended family.

Yasmin vividly recalls the events of that tragic day. “At dawn, I asked my father if I could go with him to see the effects of the floods in the city with my own eyes. I saw people near the port, frantically lifting rubble and, at first, not realizing that they were searching for their loved ones.”

Despite the immense trauma, Yasmin has remained resilient. As a Scouts leader, she naturally took to using her online platforms to amplify SOS calls and network for aid. Her leadership and determination shone through, even during such dark times. Just 40 days after the tragedy, Yasmin made the bold decision to reopen ‘Flamingo,’ the photography studio she co-manages with her sister. Typically, a place to capture joyous moments—weddings and graduations—the studio now serves a dual purpose: supporting local business owners by promoting their ventures and helping those who lost official documents.

Today, Yasmin continues to operate the studio, driven by her commitment to giving people hope after the devastation. "This is not the first time Derna has faced adversity. We’ve seen it rise from the ashes before, overcoming numerous challenges. It will take concentrated efforts to restore Derna to what it once was, but I believe it can—and will," she concludes.

Rising from the Flood

“The tragedy struck us at 3 a.m. The amount of water was terrible, leading to the complete destruction of the bakery “ Mustafa Al-Jibani, owner of Al-Jibani bakery.

The floods did not only destroyed homes and essential services. The aftermath was grim: mud-covered ovens and damaged homes left communities struggling to recover. Among the hardest-hit were local bakeries, a crucial source of sustenance for many families. 

In response, the UN through WFP mobilized to help rebuild these bakeries, providing equipment such as ovens, mixers, and generators.

Thanks to the intervention, 32 bakeries in Derna received modern equipment, allowing them to reopen and improve their production capacity. Ahmed Al-Misrati, owner of Al-Aneeq bakery, expressed his relief: “We were informed that a full bakery would be provided. They fulfilled their promise and asked us to complete the procedures. We even called back the workers who survived the flood to return to work.”

The impact extended beyond just reopening businesses. Bait Al-Jouda bakery, one of the few in its neighborhood, also received critical support. “After the flood, we were severely impacted; my mother and father passed away, which really affected us. I wanted to open the bakery again, but I couldn’t due to the damages. There were no neighbors around, no electricity, and no water. When we heard about this rehabilitation project, we applied, and thank God we were chosen,” said the owner. “We received modern equipment such as rack ovens, mixers, and generators. Now, we are producing different types of bread and pastries and moving forward every day.”

Through this initiative, the UN’s efforts have enabled bakeries like these to not only recover but also thrive, ensuring the continuity of vital food services and rebuilding livelihoods in the aftermath of disaster.

Starting over for the Second Time

They had fled a war, only to be caught in a deadly storm.

Standing on a patch of dry ground in front of their new home, Asma and Abdelraham clutched their two young boys in their arms—one barely walking. Abdelraham’s voice trembled as he spoke about the day the floods came.

“We had just begun to feel safe,” he said, his words heavy with the weight of their losses. "In Sudan, we lived stable lives until the war came. We had no choice but to flee." His voice faltered as he described their escape to Derna. A peaceful city by the sea, it had offered them the promise of safety. "It was beautiful here," he continued. "We had started to build a life."

Then came the night of the storm.

Heavy rains battered their home near the shoreline, relentless and unforgiving. "The water started rising," Abdelraham recalled, his eyes clouding with the memory. "We didn't understand how bad it would get."

Asma’s voice broke as she remembered that terrifying night. "The Red Crescent came in the middle of the night, yelling for us to leave. We were fortunate that we escaped. So many others... they didn’t." She paused, her hands shaking as she recounted the bodies in the streets and buildings collapsing like cards. "I keep thinking about when I was in the middle of it all and how I managed to get out."

"The people of Libya stood with us," Abdelrahman continued. "We received temporary shelter and aid, but the pain of what we saw—that remains."

The storm had swept away their home, their belongings, and their sense of security. But as the days passed, they held onto each other, determined to rebuild yet again.

One year after the devastating Storm Daniel disaster, the remarkable resilience of the affected communities shines through, as significant progress has been made in recovery efforts. However, much remains to be done, and continued support is essential to fully rebuild lives and livelihoods. The UN in Libya remains committed to standing by these communities, just as it has since day one, helping them navigate their journey of mourning, healing, and rebuilding their lives and neighborhoods.