The areas affected by floods in Libya, specifically in Derna, are experiencing a real tragedy in every sense of the word, as after the floods claimed the lives of thousands and swept many into the sea, people fear the spread of epidemics due to the bodies found in large numbers in the water and under the rubble.
While thousands of bodies are still buried under the silt or rubble of collapsed buildings in Libya, the sea has begun to dump the bodies of the dead who were swept away by torrential torrents a few days ago, revealing a real health catastrophe facing the people, which is the spread of epidemics and diseases that threaten the survivors, especially with the lack of sufficient medical teams to bury them. Bodies are stored in hospital freezers.
Medically, the odors emanating from corpses, due to humidity and high temperature, can cause infectious and epidemic diseases, most notably cholera.
The World Health Organization, headed by its Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Ahmed Al-Mandhari, stated that Libya is going through an unprecedented humanitarian and health crisis due to Storm Daniel, a crisis that could be exacerbated by the threat of diseases transmitted by polluted water.
Floods are the most common natural disasters in the world, but after the water recedes, they pose health problems as they represent stagnant waters contaminated with unpleasant odors and dangerous viruses, and can cause rapidly contagious epidemics such as cholera, dengue fever, and intestinal diseases that lead to death because they are linked to severe dehydration and kidney failure.
In this context, clinical drug therapy consultant Dr. Dirar Hassan Balawi said:
72 hours after the disaster, there must be a rapid response to treat the injured, so that they do not develop blood infections and organ failure. Patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and pregnant women must have field teams to help them. The greatest danger in this type of disaster is the spread of epidemics and infectious diseases such as cholera and hepatitis. Insects such as mosquitoes and ticks raise the risk of malaria and dengue fever. These diseases must be dealt with quickly to prevent their spread.
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2023-09-15 12:54:19
