‘Corruption has flourished
on land and sea as a result of people’s actions and He will make them taste the
consequences of some of their own actions so that they may turn back.’ (30: 42)
Consider the heart-breaking images emerging from Libya these days... Devastating floods that hit parts of eastern Libya last week killed more than 11,000 people. According to
international media reports, the death toll could be even higher – as much as
20,000 – after whole neighbourhoods in the coastal city of Derna were
swept away into the sea. More than 10,000 people are missing amid search
and rescue efforts. While Derna has been by far the worst-hit city after dams
overwhelmed the city, unleashing a torrent of water on it; the storm also
killed people in the towns of Bayda, Susa, Um Razaz and Marj, according to
Health Minister Othman Abduljalil.
The water that rushed into Derna was described as looking like a huge tsunami. While the floods were unprecedented, what happened in Libya cannot
be explained as purely the result of a natural disaster. The oil-rich country has been
mired in conflict since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-ruling dictator
Muammar Gaddafi. With Libya divided between two rival administrations, the storm has exposed vulnerabilities
in the nation. Years of neglect and corruption, poor
maintenance of public infrastructure, and years of political infighting made
the country particularly vulnerable and ill-equipped to tackle Storm Daniel, worsening the tragedy.
There is little doubt that catastrophic disasters are frequently unfolding around the world. Extreme ecological events are unsettling people’s lives in different nations. Unprecedented floods, forest fires, droughts, earthquakes, etc. are leading to humongous destruction of property, loss of human lives, and much suffering. People are anxiously looking around wondering which land is going to be pulverized next in the fury of nature. Is it not time for humanity to revert to spirituality in quest of Divine mercy and benevolence?