Libyan community members mourn devastation back home, local mosques raise funds for victims
CBC
Libyan community members living in Waterloo region and Guelph say there are no words to describe the devastation back home after floods wreaked havoc across the eastern part of the country over the weekend of Sept. 9.
As of Friday, the death toll had increased to 11,300, and Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, the mayor of Derna, said deaths in that city could reach 18,000 to 20,000, based on the extent of the damage.
"We're still thinking, 'How could this happen?' We're lost with words. I don't know what to say," said Ismaeil Mazek, who's lived in the K-W area with his family for over two decades.
"The first few days we didn't realize the magnitude of the disaster. We could not imagine this could happen to Libya."
Mazek's relatives live in the eastern part of the country, in Benghazi, which he said only had some damage, but his wife still has family living in Derna. Mazek said they worried for their safety over several days after they learned about the floods.
"We couldn't reach them," he said, but luckily, "they are from the fortunate ones that survived," he added.
Mohamed Jadi, a practicing physician in Guelph who immigrated to Canada from Libya more than 20 years ago, said the devastation in the country is "heart breaking."
"It's beyond imagination. I've never ever dreamed that this would happen at all," he said.
His family in Libya live in the western area of the country, and as he flew to visit them on Friday, Jadi said he would be thinking of those who have lost their homes and family members.
"It's not a happy feeling like before," he said, noting his trip was planned before the floods happened.
Jadi and Mazek said the Libyan community is tight knit and many are currently trying to help where they can.
Mosques in Kitchener and Waterloo are raising funds after prayer services for the victims of the floods in Libya and the victims of a deadly earthquake that hit Morocco on Sept. 8.
"We know that what we will do is very little, but we will try to do our part," said Abdul Mannan Syed, the Imam at the Waterloo mosque.
"The need is huge, so we will try our best to motivate the people and encourage them to give as much as possible so aid and help can reach there, where they are really suffering and they are in need."
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is getting rid of unlimited mental health benefits for staff, blaming ballooning costs and former administrators for implementing it without proper due diligence or oversight.
Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's TV and film studios and streaming division for $72 billion US, a deal that would hand control of one of Hollywood's most prized and oldest assets to the streaming pioneer that has upended the media industry.
CBC Calgary kicks off its annual Make the Season Kind campaign this morning at Fratello Coffee Roasters.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.
If all goes according to plan, at 6 a.m. AT on Saturday people working at the IWK Health Centre will become the test case for a generational change to Nova Scotia’s health-care system.
One month after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced what he called "generational" military spending, New Brunswick’s defence ecosystem is on high alert.
Miranda Mirlycourtois, 34, looks directly at the camera and makes a confession.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.