Over 5,000 people in Libya are feared dead because of catastrophic flooding from storm Daniel. 10,000 others are missing many of them in the hardest hit area the city of Derna.
Hospitals are no longer operational and morgues are full. The situation is so bad that dead bodies have been left outside the morgues.
Joining us now are Alan Roi Gabriola from the Philippine Embassy, live from Tripoli and the president of the Overseas Filipino Workers Organization in Benghazi, Doris Mae Ladera.
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Hospitals are no longer operational and morgues are full. The situation is so bad that dead bodies have been left outside the morgues.
Joining us now are Alan Roi Gabriola from the Philippine Embassy, live from Tripoli and the president of the Overseas Filipino Workers Organization in Benghazi, Doris Mae Ladera.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
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NewsTranscript
00:00 In world headlines, over 5,000 people in Libya are feared dead because of catastrophic flooding
00:07 from Storm Daniel.
00:09 10,000 others are missing, many of them in the hardest hit area, the city of Derna.
00:16 Hospitals are no longer operational and morgues are full.
00:20 The situation is so bad that dead bodies have been left outside the morgues.
00:26 Let's now check on Filipinos living in Libya, joining us now are Alan Roy-Gabriola from
00:32 the Philippine Embassy, live from Tripoli, and the president of the Overseas Filipino
00:38 Workers Organization in Benghazi, Doris May Ladera.
00:43 Welcome to the program.
00:44 Alan, let's start with you.
00:47 Have you received information on any Filipino casualty following the flood?
00:53 Good evening Ms. Mentru, good evening to everyone.
00:58 When we learned of the flood in the eastern part of Libya, the Filipinos in the area were
01:05 immediately called.
01:06 Based on the flood data, there were around 100, to be exact 90 Filipinos in the area.
01:12 All of them, when there was electricity, reported to the embassy that they were safe.
01:20 And because most of the 90 Filipinos in the area are nurses, some of them are currently
01:32 part of the ongoing efforts for relief and humanitarian assistance in the flooded areas
01:41 like Erna, Atmis, Albayta, and Omarzam.
01:46 So those are the three areas where the 90 Filipinos are living in Libya, correct sir?
01:54 Can you say those areas again?
01:57 Yes, Ms. Mentru.
01:59 The areas that were badly hit are Erna, Atmis, Albayta, and Omarzam.
02:06 And in these areas, we have 90 Filipinos, mostly nurses.
02:12 And they're all accounted for?
02:15 Yes, and they are all safe.
02:18 We have to remember that Libya is currently in crisis alert level 3 because of the decades
02:25 of war in the country.
02:28 This means that there is a protocol that the Philippine government and the Filipino community
02:34 are following.
02:35 The protocol is that if there is a problem in their area, they should say that they will
02:40 go in.
02:41 And the lawyers in the Philippines are being told to make a contingency plan.
02:48 In this case, we are happy that the protocol was followed because our nurses, based on
02:55 their reports to the embassy, were transferred to higher-ups.
03:01 Doris, how are the Filipinos in Benghazi now?
03:06 How badly was it affected?
03:09 On Saturday, we announced that there was a storm coming.
03:15 We planned a contingency plan.
03:18 And then, we have a memorandum that the schools are on holiday.
03:29 And on Sunday, at 2 o'clock, the wind started to blow.
03:37 And then, signboards fell here and the rain started to pour.
03:41 There were streets here that were flooded.
03:45 But there were no casualties and no houses were damaged.
03:50 But in the areas of Elmars, Baida, Tacmis, and Derna, the storm was strong.
04:01 Speaking of Derna, you plan to travel to Derna to bring supplies.
04:08 How do you plan to get there?
04:11 Are there Filipinos there who are waiting for you?
04:15 Yes, actually, our relief goods are for our Libyan people who are affected by the storm.
04:26 And we are coordinating with the Red Crescent.
04:30 So, the Red Crescent is waiting for us there.
04:33 And we are representing the Philippine Embassy and the entire Philippines of Libya.
04:40 Okay, so how do you plan to get there?
04:43 By air or by car?
04:46 By car.
04:49 By car.
04:50 We have a driver, Mr. Ramsey, who previously worked for the protocol.
04:56 He is our driver.
05:00 Our priests, Father Amado, and our bishop, Father Sandro, will also be there.
05:07 Is it accessible already?
05:10 Is it accessible already by land?
05:12 Because our news here is that a lot of the infrastructure has been destroyed and washed away.
05:20 So, that's normally about a 10-hour drive.
05:24 Okay.
05:26 Is there another way, ma'am?
05:28 Although it's difficult, instead of 4 hours, we will arrive there in 6 hours.
05:32 Because there are other ways, other routes, other narrow routes, so that's our route.
05:39 All right.
05:40 The main roads are being destroyed.
05:43 Yes.
05:44 Alan, how is the embassy checking on the status of Filipinos?
05:49 And how are you keeping in communication with them?
05:52 Because I understand that the communication line there is a bit difficult at this time.
05:58 The communication with the Filipinos in the area is difficult because the electricity and internet is spotty.
06:07 Nonetheless, because they work in hospitals, which is a priority of the government to provide electricity,
06:14 every time they are in the hospital, they find a way to contact them via Facebook or Viper.
06:22 And we try as much as possible that everything is checked.
06:26 And so far, they are safe and are busy because they are part of the ongoing humanitarian efforts.
06:33 On our end, besides monitoring them, we are sending our own personnel, a local also from Benghazi to Benghazi.
06:42 And hopefully, the assistance coming from the Filipino community in Tripoli will be provided also through our overseas Filipino workers organization in Benghazi.
06:54 So, Ms. Doris, earlier you said that your relief goods are meant for the affected Libyans in Derna.
07:03 Do we also have fellow Filipinos who reached out to your group?
07:07 Yes, Ma'am. They waited and they are safe and they have enough supplies because they prepared their supplies beforehand.
07:23 Okay. Alan, what assistance is the embassy getting from the Libyan government?
07:30 We just visited this part of Libya this August.
07:38 And our ties with both the Libyan presence in Derna and the local government of Derna are there.
07:47 And whatever assistance the Philippine embassy can provide to them for now, we will try to provide.
07:56 For us, we contact the Libyan president every time we ask for help in evacuating the Filipinos in the area.
08:06 In this case, there were no Filipinos who requested evacuation because they were evacuated to a higher place before the earthquake.
08:17 Well, Doris, do you have any message to the Libyan or Philippine government? How can they better help?
08:26 The message is that we will just pray for everyone's safety.
08:35 And if we are helped, then we are willing to help in any means that we can.
08:43 And also our fellow Filipinos there, they are frontliners. They are always on duty because they need their services.
08:54 And we will help in whatever we can.
08:59 All right. Thank you very much.
09:01 Now, Philippine Embassy in Libya, Chargé d'Affaires, Alan Roy Gabriola, joining us from Tripoli, and Doris May Ladera, president of the OFW organization in Benghazi.