UN: 25,000 homeless after Syria fires
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The UN announced on Monday evening that three people were killed and more than 79 others were injured, in addition to about 25,000 who became homeless due to the fires that hit the Syrian coast days ago.
However, the Syrian government stated on Sunday that it managed to control the fires that raged in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, and Homs, which caused massive amounts of damage.
About 156 fires raged in Syria on October 9 and 10, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, said at a press conference on Monday.
The fires were about 95 fires in Latakia, 49 fires in Tartus, and 13 fires in Homs, according to the Syrian government’s Agriculture Ministry.
The fires burnt acres of coastal forests and mountainous areas in the villages of Homs, Latakia, and Tartus, according to reports.
In a rare public appearance, Syrian president Bashar Assad was seen visiting Latakia in the wake of the fires, the Syrian government’s official news agency SANA reported on Tuesday, adding that Assad vowed to help those affected by the disaster.
There is still a risk of more fires two days after the Syrian government announced that the fires were under control, Dujarric confirmed.
Additionally, about 140,000 people were affected due to the fires that started last Friday, according to UN reports.
“Our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are cooperating with authorities and humanitarian partners to help develop an emergency response plan,” Dujarric said.