Curbs hinder Syria's firefighting efforts

LATAKIA, Syria — US sanctions have impeded the ongoing firefighting efforts in the northwestern Syrian province of Latakia, where wildfires are devouring swathes of forest land and firefighting supplies are in urgent need.

The embargo on Syria poses the "biggest challenge for us because we need energy sources and fuel as well as machinery, water tanks and planes", Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Mohammed Hassan Qatana said on Saturday.

"We have many workers who need specialized firefighting clothing, and this is a very important issue. We also need spare parts for bulldozers, cars and water tanks," said the minister.

Earlier this month, massive wildfires broke out in several Syrian provinces, including Hama, Latakia and Idlib. Firefighters managed to control most of the fires but in Latakia, fires restarted on Tuesday. Fire crews have been battling numerous blazes in the region.

"The wind speed is the key factor behind the spread of the fire in addition to the nature of these mountains which are connected with one another. There are several mountain chains and a thick and vast plant cover," said the minister.

Fortunately, most of the fires in the countryside of Latakia have been well controlled, and no injuries were reported, he added.

According to Bassem Douba, director of agriculture and agrarian reform in Latakia, preliminary estimation indicated that over 5 square kilometers were burned entirely.

An investigation into the cause of the fires and a final estimation of the damage are underway, according to the authorities.

In Latakia, at 72, Syrian farmer Izzadin Zuhaira has survived war, displacement and a devastating earthquake in February. But the forest fires razing his home province turning his beloved orchards to ash, were the worst he had seen.

"I've never seen any weather like this. The soil and the trees were so impacted by the heat that they lit up quickly," Zuhaira said.

Syria has been severely affected by climate change in recent years, including rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, which have led to forest fires and poor harvests.

Dust storms, desertification and land loss have been threatening farmers' livelihoods for years, said Suhair Zakkout, the spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria.

Xinhua