Syrian authorities have begun evacuating residents in parts of the coastal Latakia province as massive forest fires continue to sweep through the region, fuelled by severe drought and strong winds, officials said on Friday.
The fires, which have been burning for several days, are affecting large swathes of Syria’s western coastal and inland areas. In the Latakia countryside, flames have reached the vicinity of several villages, prompting emergency teams to initiate evacuations.
Abdulkafi Kayyal, head of the Directorate of Disasters and Emergencies in Latakia, told state-run SANA news agency that the fires around Qastal Maaf had forced firefighters and civil defence personnel to clear residential areas under imminent threat.
The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, issued a warning about heavy smoke emissions spreading toward the northern coastal mountains, the city of Hama, surrounding countryside, and southern Idlib. “Our teams recorded losses in the orchards due to the widespread forest fire in several areas of the Latakia countryside,” the group said, urging the public to report any suspected arsonists.
Efforts to contain the fires have been complicated by unexploded ordnance and land mines scattered across the region, remnants of Syria’s decade-long civil war. Kayyal noted that these dangers, coupled with the fierce winds, were slowing firefighting operations.
The wildfires come amid one of Syria’s most severe climate crises in recent history. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation warned last month that the country was experiencing its worst drought in 60 years, with over 16 million people at risk of food insecurity.
Syria, already struggling to rebuild after years of war and the ousting of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad in December, now faces mounting environmental and humanitarian challenges as climate change accelerates the frequency and intensity of wildfires.
Written By Rodney Mbua
