Latest news with #NajatRochdi
Kuwait Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Syria fights fires for fourth day as Jordan sends help
100 square km of forest 'turned to ash' in wildfires DAMASCUS: Syrian authorities said some 100 square kilometers (40 square miles) of forest had 'turned to ash' in wildfires as firefighters from neighboring Jordan arrived 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 defense 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 (25,000 acres) in 28 locations have turned to ash'. He said some 80 teams including civil defense personnel had been battling the blaze, noting local organizations and residents were also providing assistance, along with teams and firefighting aircraft from neighboring Jordan and Turkey. Turkey, a key backer of Syria's new authorities, sent assistance including aircraft and fire engines on Saturday. Jordan's public security directorate said in a statement that the 'specialized firefighting teams from the civil defense... have been provided with all the modern equipment and machinery necessary to carry out their duties to the fullest extent'. Swathes of forested area and farmland have burned and some villages evacuated as the fires raged including near the Turkish border. The United Nations deputy envoy to Syria Najat Rochdi said in a statement 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'. Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar Al-Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country's economy, infrastructure and public services. With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization told AFP that Syria had 'not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years'. — AFP
Iraqi News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Syria fights fires for fourth day as Jordan sends help
Damascus – Syrian authorities said some 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) of forest had 'turned to ash' in wildfires as firefighters from neighbouring Jordan arrived 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 (25,000 acres) in 28 locations have turned to ash'. He said some 80 teams including civil defence personnel had been battling the blaze, noting local organisations and residents were also providing assistance, along with teams and firefighting aircraft from neighbouring Jordan and Turkey. Turkey, a key backer of Syria's new authorities, sent assistance including aircraft and fire engines on Saturday. Jordan's public security directorate said in a statement that the 'specialised firefighting teams from the civil defence… have been provided with all the modern equipment and machinery necessary to carry out their duties to the fullest extent'. Swathes of forested area and farmland have burned and some villages evacuated as the fires raged including near the Turkish border. The United Nations deputy envoy to Syria Najat Rochdi said in a statement 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'. Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country's economy, infrastructure and public services. With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation told AFP that Syria had 'not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years'.
Middle East Eye
6 days ago
- Climate
- Middle East Eye
Syria: Wildfires ravage Latakia province for fourth consecutive day
Wildfires continued to leave a trail of destruction in Syria's Latakia province on Sunday, as firefighters from neighbouring Jordan arrived to help battle a fourth day of devastating fires in the war-ravaged country. Aerial footage of seen by Middle East Eye showed vast swathes of forest and agricultural land engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, videos uploaded on social media captured huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky as Syrians rushed to get to safety. Syrian authorities said at least 10,000 hectares of forest and farmland had been destroyed, with hundreds of families forced to flee their homes. "Hundreds of thousands of forest trees over an estimated area of around 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) in 28 locations have turned to ash," Raed al-Saleh, Syria's Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, said in a statement. Speaking at a press conference later on Sunday, he referred to the situation as "a real environmental disaster." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Emergency workers reported that they were struggling to contain the fires, citing difficult terrain and the risk of unexploded ordnances - a lethal legacy of Syria's recently ended civil war - as major obstacles. Massive wildfires have ravaged Syria's coastal #Latakia province since early July. As part of the ongoing response by firefighting teams from the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, the ministry has deployed more than 160 fire engines and 12 heavy machinery units from… — The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) July 6, 2025 The relentless fires, which have been centred around the mountainous district of Qastal Maaf, have been fuelled by soaring temperatures and fierce winds. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation told AFP that Syria had "not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years." In a statement posted on X, Najat Rochdi, the United Nations deputy envoy to Syria, pleaded with the international community for help, saying Damascus "needs more international assistance" to face the fires. Meanwhile, Jordan's public security directorate said it had dispatched "specialised firefighting teams from the civil defence... [that] have been provided with all the modern equipment and machinery necessary to carry out their duties to the fullest extent." The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, warned that "smoke emissions are reaching the northern part of the coastal mountains, the city of Hama and its countryside, and areas south of Idlib." Wildfires are a common summer threat across the eastern Mediterranean, but experts warn they are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change. Neighbouring Turkey has been battling wildfires since 26 June, which authorities said were caused by faulty power lines. At least three people are known to have died in Turkey, whilst tens of thousands have been evacuated.
Observer
6 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
Ya Libnan
6 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Syria fights wildfires for 4th day as Jordan sends help
Mass evacuations as the fires hit Syria's coastal mountains, burning vast areas of forest Syrian authorities said some 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) of forest had 'turned to ash' in wildfires as firefighters from neighbouring Jordan arrived 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 (25,000 acres) in 28 locations have turned to ash' He said some 80 teams including civil defence personnel had been battling the blaze, noting local organisations and residents were also providing assistance, along with teams and firefighting aircraft from neighbouring Jordan and Turkey. Turkey, a key backer of Syria's new authorities, sent assistance including aircraft and fire engines on Saturday. Jordan's public security directorate said in a statement that the 'specialized firefighting teams from the civil defense… have been provided with all the modern equipment and machinery necessary to carry out their duties to the fullest extent'.. Swathes of forested area and farmland have burned and some villages evacuated as the fires raged including near the Turkish border. The United Nations deputy envoy to Syria Najat Rochdi said in a statement 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'. Nearly seven months after the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Syria is still reeling from more than a decade of civil war that ravaged the country's economy, infrastructure and public services. With man-made climate change increasing the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has also been battered by heatwaves and low rainfall. In June, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation told AFP that Syria had 'not seen such bad climate conditions in 60 years'. AFP/FRANCE24
