'Grieving as one': Libyan Canadians in Toronto area mourn loved ones lost in Derna flooding

Ayat Mneina is still in shock after devastating floods hit the Libyan city of Derna this week, leaving thousands of people dead.

A Libyan Canadian and a freelance writer based in Brantford, Ont., Mneina says both of her parents are from Derna. She has extended family members there too and says it's been difficult to obtain information about the disaster. It took all day on Monday to get details, she said.

Mneina said she lost cousins on her mother's side and their families. Her mother and father also lost cousins.

"It's five days out and it still feels like the very first moments when we were learning about the events unfolding on the ground. We're at a standstill. And it's very difficult to process what's been happening," Mneina told CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Friday.

Mediterranean Storm Daniel hit the shores of Libya on Sunday after levelling Greece earlier this month. Derna on Libya's eastern shore was hit particularly hard.

Two dams around the perimeter of the city collapsed, unleashing a torrent of water onto the city's residents. The storm uprooted buildings and swept residential neighbourhoods into the sea.

"Essentially, people really did not see this coming," Mneina said.

Mneina said she watched the news coverage from her home and couldn't reach anyone because the flooding took out the power grid in Derna. She said it was in the middle of the night in Derna when the dams broke and the water flooded the city. Communications were down, there was no electricity and no internet for hours. 

"It was a long day on Monday just trying to get through to family on the ground or anyone in the area who could give us word of what had happened."

According to a report by Associated Press on Friday, the disaster has claimed more than 11,000 lives. Authorities warned Friday that waterborne disease and explosive ordnance that shifted during the flood could cause more deaths.

In the worst-affected areas of Derna, efforts to recover the dead and distribute aid have been plagued by confusion and a lack of resources. Libya's two opposing governments, long divided by civil strife and war, have struggled to respond to the disaster.

Al-Jazeera reported on Wednesday that Derna Deputy Mayor Ahmed Madroud said the dams had not been maintained for more than 20 years.

Mneina added: "We could say there is a history of neglect here when it comes to regular citizens."

She said Libyan decision-makers suffer from a lack of co-ordination, communication and willpower and that has made the disaster and its aftermath worse.