DERNA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister of Libya's eastern-based government Osama Hammad on Wednesday announced the launch of major reconstruction projects in Derna, a city in eastern Libya that was devastated by heavy floods in September.
At the opening ceremony of an international conference held in Derna on the city's reconstruction, Hammad called on national companies to establish partnerships with regional and international companies to improve the country's economy and development.
According to Hammad, the main goal of the conference was to discuss and formulate a plan for the reconstruction of Derna.
Mediterranean storm Daniel unleashed Libya's worst floods in decades on Sept. 10, killing and displacing thousands of people and destroying infrastructure, especially in Derna, a city about 1,300 km east of the capital Tripoli. Heavy rainfall caused two upstream dams near Derna to burst on Sept. 10, sending torrential waters that swept the city.
Libya, an oil-rich country, is politically divided between eastern and western governments. Each administration is backed by armed groups and militias. ■