Libya is facing a “large-scale devastating disaster”, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) says.

The head of the IFRC delegation in Libya, Tamer Ramadan, says the challenges and needs in the country are way beyond what current efforts can do.

He says international support for the people in Libya is “strongly needed now”.

It comes as thousands of people are reported dead in the widespread heavy flooding, with the toll continuing to rise.

A minister in the eastern-based government told the Reuters news agency a quarter of the worst-hit city of Derna had disappeared and many buildings had collapsed, and called the situation there “disastrous”.

Hichem Chkiouat said more than 1,000 bodies had now been recovered in the city.

Two of the city’s dams have been destroyed.

Libya’s western-based government in Tripoli has sent a plane with 14 tonnes of medical supplies, body bags and more than 80 doctors and paramedics.