As the death toll continues to rise in an eastern Libya devastated by floods, the European Union is intensifying its coordination efforts in order to deliver emergency equipment to the flood victims by means of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
The European Commission announced on Thursday, 14 September, that three more EU Member States have responded to the request for assistance that the Libyan authorities sent out the previous day.
France offered a 53-person medical team, whereas Italy offered shelters, heavy machinery and rubble-removal trucks, a specialised diving team with three Zodiac boats and two transport vehicles, and two search and rescue helicopters. The Netherlands provided a team of IT, logistics, and mapping experts.
Germany, Romania, and Finland had immediately offered essential goods—shelters, generators, food, hospital tents, and water tanks—on Wednesday, 13 September (see EUROPE 13249/39). Other offers could follow.
EU humanitarian aid experts are being deployed so as to swiftly assess the emerging humanitarian needs on the ground.
The EU funds 75% of the costs of delivering aid via the UCPM. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)