Syria has declared the devastating wildfires in Latakia province fully extinguished after 12 days of fierce battling. However, officials caution that the environmental and social impacts will persist for years.
Raed al-Saleh, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, stressed that while the immediate danger has passed, the recovery phase is only beginning. He outlined plans to implement a national wildfire early warning system and enhance forest protection through stronger community involvement.
Firefighters faced major obstacles including unpredictable winds, difficult mountainous terrain, and dangerous remnants of war such as landmines. Years of neglect left forests vulnerable, with insufficient firebreaks contributing to the spread.
Al-Saleh warned of severe long-term consequences, including soil erosion, vegetation loss, and increased risk of landslides — risks worsened by ongoing drought and climate change, the worst in decades.
The ministry used advanced tools such as satellite imaging, drones, and weather monitoring stations to track fire behaviour and direct response efforts. Al-Saleh expressed gratitude to support teams from Türkiye, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar, as well as local volunteers and government agencies, calling their cooperation “an historic achievement for the nation.”
Governor Mohammad Othman reported that more than 16,000 hectares of forest were destroyed, alongside 2,200 hectares of farmland.
The fires damaged 45 villages and displaced approximately 1,200 families.
Kyrgyzstan is preparing to hold snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, 30 November 2025, after the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) dissolved itself in Se...
The Spanish agricultural sector has been placed on high alert following the confirmation that African Swine Fever (ASF) has resurfaced in the country ...
The Japanese government is preparing to host a landmark summit with the leaders of the Central Asian states, expected to take place in Tokyo in Decemb...
The Kremlin is set to evaluate a new diplomatic proposal aimed at halting the hostilities in Ukraine, with high-level discussions involving a Washingt...
The European Union’s high-stakes strategy to leverage hundreds of billions in frozen Russian capital to prop up Ukraine’s defence has hit a critic...
Kyrgyzstan is preparing to hold snap parliamentary elections on Sunday, 30 November 2025, after the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) dissolved itself in September.
The Spanish agricultural sector has been placed on high alert following the confirmation that African Swine Fever (ASF) has resurfaced in the country for the first time in over thirty years.
The Japanese government is preparing to host a landmark summit with the leaders of the Central Asian states, expected to take place in Tokyo in December 2025.
The Kremlin is set to evaluate a new diplomatic proposal aimed at halting the hostilities in Ukraine, with high-level discussions involving a Washington envoy scheduled for the coming days in Moscow.
At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
A passenger aircraft from Polish carrier LOT veered off a taxiway at Lithuania's Vilnius airport after arriving from Warsaw on Wednesday, halting all traffic, the airport operator said.
Netflix crashed on Wednesday for about an hour in the U.S. as it launched season five of "Stranger Things", with the service becoming inaccessible to many subscribers within minutes of the episodes going live at 8 p.m. local time.
Thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets of Sofia on Wednesday to protest against the government’s draft budget for 2026, the first to be prepared in euros ahead of the country’s planned eurozone entry on 1 January 2026.
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are racing against rising floodwaters and treacherous terrain today after a powerful storm system slammed into the island nation, killing at least 46 people and displacing tens of thousands in a disaster that threatens to strain the country’s resources.
The death toll from devastating floods across Southeast Asia climbed to at least 183 people on Friday (28 November). Authorities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka struggle to rescue stranded residents, restore power and communications, and deliver aid to cut-off communities.
At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Rescuers in Thailand readied drones on Thursday to airdrop food parcels, as receding floodwaters in the south and neighbouring Malaysia brightened hopes for the evacuation of those stranded for days, while cyclone havoc in Indonesia killed at least 28.
Floods and landslides brought about by torrential rain in Indonesia's North Sumatra province have killed at least 28 people by Thursday, with rescue efforts hampered by what an official described as a "total cut-off" of roads and communications.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment