Nearly 95% of the educational institutions in Libya's flood-stricken areas have suffered various degrees of damage, according to the country's unity government.
The statement was made at a joint press conference in Tripoli by Minister of Education Musa al-Maqrif, who is also part of the government’s emergency and rapid response team.
He said, however, that the school year will start next week across Libya.
"Seventeen education facilities in Benghazi have registered displaced students from the devastated areas," al-Maqrif added.
At the same press conference Education Ministry official Ali al-Quweirah noted that 114 schools in 15 localities were damaged by the floods.
He added that technical teams are evaluating and assessing the costs for the maintenance work in the schools.
Earlier on Monday, the Tripoli-based government said that over 70% of the infrastructure in eastern Libya was damaged by last week’s devastating floods.
In a statement, Al-Hussein Swedan, head of the Transport Ministry’s roads and bridges department, said 11 bridges collapsed from the floods, including two bridges that linked Derna with the cities of Soussa and al-Qubba and six others.
Derna was hardest hit by deadly flooding caused by Mediterranean Storm Daniel on Sept. 10, causing the city’s dams to burst, washing away homes and people.
He also said 80% of the water pipelines in all eastern towns and villages collapsed and 50% of the roads in the devastated areas were damaged.
Swedan added, however, that his department managed to open alternative routes in affected and damaged areas.
Thousands of people have died in the flood with many more missing. There have been conflicting reports on the death toll, varying between 3,958 and 11,300.
Earlier Saturday, the eastern Libya-based Health Minister Osama Hamad said that 3,252 bodies had been buried.
More than 40,000 people have been displaced across Libya’s northeastern areas by the deadly floods, the U.N. office said.
