Latest news with #AlGhassaniya
The National
7 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Syria appeals to EU for help as wildfire spreads
Syria has appealed to the European Union for help as wildfires continue to spread in the coastal countryside of Latakia, forcing the evacuation of people from their homes. Raed Al Saleh, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, said aircraft from Cyprus could be sent to support the operation to extinguish the fires, alongside crews from Turkey and Jordan already on the scene. Lebanon has also sent aircraft, he said. Sixteen planes are currently working to control the blazes, Mr Al Saleh added, with the number expected to reach 20. Twenty-five families have been evacuated from their homes in Al Ghassaniya village in the Ras Al Basit district of Latakia in the west of the country, the minister said. Strong winds, rugged terrain and unexploded ordnance littering the region were hindering firefighting efforts, Mr Al Saleh said, with an area covering about 14,000 hectares now in flames. In Ras Al Basit, the fires were continuing to spread, state news agency Sana reported late on Tuesday. Footage from White Helmets shows magnitude of Syria's raging wildfires Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine Al Baba said people had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in starting the fires. He said the ministry was investigating the causes of the blaze to determine whether they were deliberately set. 'There are suspects, they have been arrested and are currently under investigation, and if their involvement is proven it will be announced,' he was quoted by Sana as saying. The fires have been rampaging across the Latakia, Baniyas and Tartus governorates. The coastal region contains most of Syria's green space, covering about 4,000 square kilometres, or 2 per cent of the nation's land mass, according to data recorded in 2010 before Syria's civil war broke out. Syria's forests have been compromised by decades of illegal logging along with unlicensed building and farming, particularly during the 13-year war. Syria, once a regional breadbasket, is undergoing one of its worst droughts in decades. In the late 2000s, the country became a wheat importer due to a lack of rain and the illegal use of water wells, which affected underground reservoirs.
The National
08-07-2025
- Climate
- The National
Evacuations in Syria's Latakia countryside as wildfires advance on homes
Syrian firefighters were evacuating people from their homes in the Latakia countryside on Tuesday as wildfires advanced "dangerously close" to populated areas. The forest fires have been burning since last Wednesday across coastal regions that are home to most of Syria's green cover, fanned by strong winds and high temperatures. Neighbouring countries have stepped in to help, with Turkey and Jordan sending fire engines and planes to help contain the blazes. On Tuesday, Syrian state news agency Sana said the fires had expanded to areas near Al Ghassaniya village in the Ras Al Basit district of Latakia, where they were approaching homes as the wind speed accelerated. Firefighters were working to halt the fire's advance and evacuate residents, said Abdul Kafi Kayyal, director of Syria's civil defence in the coastal region. The flames are now "dangerously close to populated areas in Al Ghassaniya, and teams are making every effort to contain the blaze", Sana quoted him as saying. Wildfires devastate Latakia Raed Al Saleh, Syria's Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, previously described the wildfires as 'one of the most difficult" to tackle due to the rugged terrain. The region contains most of Syria's green space, covering about 4,000 square kilometres, or 2 per cent of the nation's land mass, according to data recorded in 2010 before Syria's civil war broke out. Decades of illegal logging along with unlicensed building and farming, particularly during the 13-year war, have compromised the country's forests. Besides Latakia, the fires have also ravaged the Baniyas and Tartous governorates. Syria, once a regional breadbasket, is undergoing one of its worst droughts in decades. In the late 2000s, the country became a wheat importer due to a lack of rain and the illegal use of water wells, which affected underground reservoirs.
