Libya: “The loss is great. The grief is big.”

Please, join the IRC's emergency response by making a gift today — your generosity will help families in Libya and crisis zones around the world. [International Rescue Committee logo.]( {NAME}, my colleagues in Libya just sent us an update on what they’re seeing and how we're responding to the devastating floods last week that have tragically claimed over 11,000 lives. The situation is devastating and still becoming more dangerous for survivors who are struggling without shelter, food and clean water. [If you are able, please join the IRC’s emergency response and rush a gift today, which will be 2x-matched by an anonymous donor.]( [FLOODING IN LIBYA: Rush Urgent Aid Now]( A boy pulls a suitcase past debris in a flash-flood damaged area in Derna, eastern Libya, on September 11, 2023. {NAME}, survivors' accounts of the initial flooding have been harrowing: One man described to IRC teams how he and his mother were pushed out of his home by the force of the floodwaters, then chased up seven floors of an abandoned building until they were finally out of the water's reach. He said he'd "never forget the shouts for help and screams for God's mercy." But even though the floodwaters have receded, the danger for survivors is escalating. Entire neighborhoods have been washed away leaving over 40,000 people displaced from their homes and without basic necessities. Phone lines are down and roads and bridges have been destroyed making it more difficult to reach survivors. Flood waters have severely contaminated the local water supply with sewage creating a massive public health threat — already at least 55 children have been sickened by contaminated water. [Please, join the IRC’s emergency response by making a gift today — your generosity will help families in Libya and crisis zones around the world and will be 2X-matched for a limited time.]( [RUSH A GIFT »]( Our Libyan team is hard at work in Derna and in the surrounding affected areas, and will continue to be working on three main response areas directly and with partners to provide health services 🩺🚑, including mobile medical teams; protection services 💛🤝, such as mental health support and delivery of dignity kits including sanitary items; and basic household items 🍼🩹, which include first aid and baby kits. {NAME}, the work to rebuild in Libya won't be easy or fast. My colleague Bashir, who is currently in Libya, aptly put it: The loss is great. The grief is big. There is a huge need for humanitarian assistance. It's one of our points of pride here at the IRC that we stay as long as we're needed — and it's support from compassionate people like you that makes it possible. It's not too late to be a part of it, {NAME}. [Rush a generous emergency gift to IRC's Libya response and people in crisis around the world.]( Once again thank you for your support. We will continue to keep you updated on our response in Libya and crisis zones around the world. With appreciation, — Hank [RUSH A GIFT »]( The International Rescue Committee | [Rescue.org]( 122 East 42nd Street, New York, New York 10168-1289 USA To ensure future delivery of IRC e-mails, please add our reply address updates@rescue.org to your Address Book. [Click here]( for U.S. federal and state compliance notices [Manage my preferences]( or [unsubscribe](