The United Nations adjusts death statistics in Derna to 3,958 instead of 11,000

Weather of Arabia - A week after the Derna disaster and the floods of Storm Daniel that affected Libya, the Libyan agencies, with the help of foreign teams, continue to search for thousands of dead and missing people as a result of the disaster, and the estimates of deaths that were announced varied until the moment the report was prepared, while the health authorities in eastern Libya reported in Its latest death toll was 3,252 people. United Nations reports stated that the toll could reach more than 11,000 dead, while the World Health Organization indicated that the bodies of 3,985 people had been recovered and identified, with death certificates issued to their owners.

The Minister of Health in the government of eastern Libya, Othman Abdel Jalil, announced in the latest toll reported on Sunday evening that 3,283 people had been killed, after the discovery of 31 new bodies.

Minister of Health in the Government of Eastern Libya, Othman Abdel Jalil: We do not mitigate the severity of the tragedy and we know that the tragedy is great, but dealing with it must be scientifically and realistically.

After this discrepancy, the Libyan Red Crescent spokesman denied yesterday, Sunday, that the death toll from the floods that struck the city of Derna in the east of the country had reached 11,300 people, according to what the United Nations announced.

Libyan Crescent spokesman Tawfiq Shukri said, “We are surprised that our name is included in such statistics, and we did not announce these numbers,” considering that they “confuse the situation, especially for the families of missing people.”

While the United Nations revised its statistics on the number of deaths as a result of Storm Daniel, clarifying that the total deaths so far have reached 3,958 people and not 11,000 as previously announced. An updated report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated, on Sunday evening, that the death toll reached There are now 3,958 deaths in Libya as a result of floods, according to the World Health Organization.

The amended report also indicated that the number of missing people has reached nine thousand people so far, as reported by the American CNN network on Monday.

Why are the Derna disaster death numbers different?

The Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Farhan Haq, said in a statement to CNN: “We rely on the numbers that have been verified by the World Health Organization.” When asked about the reasons for announcing a false death toll, Haq said: “In many disasters, the matter ends up being modified.” "The numbers continue. And that's what happened here." He added: "The standard procedure is that we work with various parties to try to ensure that our numbers are checked. When we do these reviews it is because our numbers are being checked."