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Observer
2 days ago
- Politics
- Observer
Syria seeks European help as forest wildfires rage
DAMASCUS: Syria's minister of emergencies and disaster management on Tuesday requested support from the European Union to battle wildfires that have swept through a vast stretch of forested land. The fires have been burning for six days, with Syrian emergency crews struggling to bring them under control amid strong winds and severe drought. Neighbouring countries Jordan, Lebanon and Türkiye have already dispatched firefighting teams to assist in the response. "We asked the European Union for help in extinguishing the fires," Minister Raed al Saleh said on X, adding Cyprus was expected to send aid on Tuesday. "Fear of the fires spreading due to strong winds last night prompted us to evacuate 25 families to ensure their safety without any human casualties," he added. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) office in Syria, the fires impacted "some 5,000 persons, including displacements, across 60 communities". An estimated 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) of forest and farmland — more than three per cent of Syria's forest cover — have burned, OCHA said. At least seven towns in Latakia province have been evacuated as a precaution. — AFP
Observer
4 days ago
- Climate
- Observer
Syria fights fires for fourth day
DAMASCUS: Syrian authorities said some 100 square kilometres of forest had "turned to ash" in wildfires as firefighters from neighbouring Jordan arrived on Sunday to battle a fourth day of blazes in the province of Latakia. Syrian emergency workers have faced tough conditions including high temperatures, strong winds, rugged mountainous terrain in the coastal province and the danger of explosive war remnants, in a country scarred by years of conflict. Jordanian civil defence teams crossed into Syria on Sunday morning, the Syrian ministry for emergency and disaster management said, as state media published footage of the convoy. Minister Raed al Saleh said on X that "hundreds of thousands of forest trees over an estimated area of around 10,000 hectares in 28 locations have turned to ash". The United Nations deputy envoy to Syria Najat Rochdi said in a statement on Sunday on X that Damascus "needs more international assistance" to face the fires. A statement from the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula said that "UN teams are on the ground conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the disaster and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs". — AFP
