In Syria, fires burn 10,000 hectares in Latakia province

Syria reported on Sunday, July 6, that approximately 10,000 hectares had gone up in smoke, on the fourth day of forest fires in the coastal province of Latakia. Firefighters are facing extremely difficult conditions: high temperatures, strong winds, steep terrain, and the presence of explosive remnants in a country scarred by years of conflict. An Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent in the Rabia region saw emergency services battling a blaze near homes, while vast swathes of forest and olive groves were ravaged by the flames.

"Hundreds of thousands of forest trees, spread over about 10,000 hectares in 28 areas, have gone up in smoke," Syrian Emergencies Minister Raed Al-Saleh said on X, adding that about 80 teams were mobilized. He later spoke of "a real environmental disaster" at a press conference, stressing that it would take several days to bring the "catastrophic" fires under control.

Turkey sent two planes and eight fire trucks to Syria on Saturday. The Syrian Defense Ministry reported the involvement of the air force, releasing footage showing a helicopter pumping and dropping water. Large forested areas and farmland have been devastated, particularly near the Turkish border, and several villages have had to be evacuated.

In a message on X, the UN deputy special envoy for Syria, Najat Rochdi, stressed that Damascus "needs more international assistance." Adam Abdelmoula, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Syria, said that "UN teams are on the ground to (...) assess the scale of the disaster and identify the most immediate humanitarian needs."

Civil defense teams from neighboring Jordan headed to Latakia after crossing the border Sunday morning, Syria's Ministry of Emergencies and Disaster Management said, adding that Jordanian aircraft were also expected. Nearly seven months after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria remains deeply scarred by more than a decade of war that ravaged its economy and infrastructure.

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of droughts and fires around the world, Syria has also been hit by heatwaves, low rainfall, and massive wildfires. In June, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) told AFP that Syria had "not experienced such adverse weather conditions in 60 years."