The governor of Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria has resigned after devastating floods paralyzed the city and left at least seven people dead. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail accepted the resignation of Hany Elmessiry despite the governor not having any authority over the sewage systems of the city. Major General Youssry Henry, the head of the Sewage Authority, has also resigned. Sewage systems, which have not been operating at a proper capacity for many years, are managed and under the full authority of the Sewage Authority, an Egyptian government body that is separate from the governor’s powers. On 5 October 2015, in a meeting with the Sewage Authority’s officials, Elmessiry warned officials of the need to act immediately to address potential future flooding after a smaller incident on 4 October. During the meeting, the President of the Sewage Authority said “this [bad] flooding will never happen again and the situation next time will be a lot better.” In response, Elmessiry asked the Sewage Authority to identify which areas require urgent attention and to address these weak points. Elmessiry added that the Authority, if needed, should ask the government for greater resources and that the…
