Sandstorm Paralyzes East and South Libya and Imposes a Complete Curfew
January 20, 2026778 ViewsRead Time: 1 minutes
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Wide areas in East and South Libya experienced a strong sandstorm from Monday evening until Tuesday, causing near-total paralysis of public facilities, with flights halted, schools and universities closed, and government institutions disrupted, amid significant material damage.
The local authorities in eastern Libya announced a complete curfew in the cities and regions under their control, coinciding with the suspension of several flights due to low visibility and strong winds accompanying the storm.
In the city of Benghazi, residents circulated photos and videos documenting the strength of the storm, which led to uprooted trees falling on cars, as well as the collapse of walls of houses and electricity poles, and damage to buildings under construction, causing power outages and increased pollution levels due to dust.
For its part, the electricity company warned citizens to stay away from fallen wires, confirming that it had dispatched field teams to address emergency outages, while other teams intervened to remove obstacles from the roads.
In light of these exceptional weather conditions, the Libyan government affiliated with the parliament issued a decision to suspend all government services for two days, urging citizens to exercise caution and avoid travel except for extreme necessity, especially on highways and in desert areas.
