As wildfires ravage Latakia, Syria seeks EU support: What to know

BEIRUT — Syria’s authorities appealed Tuesday to the European Union for assist in battling huge wildfires which were engulfing the nation’s northwestern coastal area for the sixth consecutive day.

Minister of Emergency and Catastrophe Administration Raed Saleh wrote in a submit on X that authorities reached out to the EU for help as Syrian civil protection groups proceed to extinguish the fires in Latakia province.

On July 3, a sequence of devastating wildfires unfold throughout forests and farmland close to the Turkish border. The blazes, fueled by robust winds, scorching temperatures and excessive drought, have since burned 14,000 hectares and compelled lots of of individuals to evacuate.

Regardless of the devastation, no casualties have been reported thus far.

The fires continued to advance, reaching components of Idlib, Homs and Tartous provinces, in accordance with the Syrian civil protection. The firefighters face important challenges together with rugged terrain, robust winds and the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance from Syria’s 14-year civil battle.

UN, neighboring international locations dispatch firefighters

Firefighting crews from Turkey and Jordan have joined the civil protection operations with helicopter assist from Syria, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, Saleh mentioned in his Tuesday assertion.

“Sixteen plane are at present taking part within the operations, and the quantity is predicted to succeed in 20 within the coming hours,” he famous, including that Cyprus is predicted to ship plane afterward Tuesday.

The Lebanese navy mentioned Monday it dispatched two firefighting helicopters to Syria to help in combating the wildfires in coordination with the Syrian authorities.

Jordan additionally despatched reinforcements to Syria on Sunday, together with two Black Hawk helicopters outfitted with superior firefighting methods and specialised crews to assist fight the fires.

Jordanian firefighters went to Syria earlier on Sunday to assist their Syrian counterparts, becoming a member of Turkish civil protection staff and hearth engines. Turkey is battling its personal wildfires within the south and west.

Humanitarian, environmental repercussions

As Syria appeals for help in battling the blazes, the United Nations mentioned Sunday that its groups have been on the bottom on the Syrian coast to evaluate the injury and humanitarian wants.

“UN groups are on the bottom conducting pressing assessments to find out the size of the catastrophe and to establish essentially the most fast humanitarian wants,” UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula mentioned in an announcement.

“The UN reiterates its solidarity with the folks of Syria at this essential second and stands able to work alongside all stakeholders to make sure that nobody is left behind within the response and restoration efforts,” he added.

In response to the SARD nongovernmental group, which operates in Syria and Turkey, the fires have affected practically 5,000 folks, together with greater than 1,100 who have been pressured to evacuate their houses in dozens of villages throughout Latakia.

The group additionally mentioned in a report on Monday that just about 100 sq. kilometers (40 sq. miles) of woodland, or 3% of Syria’s complete forest cowl, have been burned. Round 5,270 sq. kilometers (about 2,000 sq. miles) of the nation is forested, in accordance with 2023 information from the Syrian authorities.

Syrian authorities have known as the fires catastrophic. Saleh informed reporters on Sunday that the nation was going through a “actual environmental catastrophe.”

There’s rising worry of the fires spreading to al-Frunloq pure reserve, one of many largest forests in Syria positioned in Latakia’s al-Bayer area. In a submit on X on Tuesday, the Syrian civil protection mentioned its groups have been deploying intense efforts to guard the reserve.

Climate change is seen as a significant factor within the huge wildfires in Syria. In June, Haya Abu Assaf, assistant consultant of the UN Meals and Agriculture Group in Syria, informed Agence France-Presse that Syria was experiencing its harshest local weather circumstances in practically 60 years, marked by 5 years of low precipitation, in accordance with the UN humanitarian company OCHA.

For the reason that starting of July, the Syrian civil protection responded to 334 fires throughout Syria, most of them in Latakia adopted by Tartous with 26 fires, Saleh wrote on X Monday.