Iraq sends firefighters as Syrian wildfires rage on

Iraq is dispatching firefighters and equipment to Syria’s coastal region, to help contain wildfires now entering their ninth day, according to The National on July 11th.

Fire units from Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are already working across the Latakia governorate, where fires have forced evacuations. Syrian officials say steep terrain and strong winds have made it difficult to reach some areas.

A spokesperson for Iraq’s Civil Defence Directorate said teams were in the final stages of preparation and would deploy shortly. Iraq’s state news agency reported that logistical arrangements were nearly complete.

Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed Al Saleh, described the fire near Qastal Maaf as forming a “towering, deep valley” and called it one of the hardest-hit and least accessible zones. He thanked Iraq for its support and confirmed that Syria had also requested assistance from the European Union.

Wildfires continue to sweep across Latakia and Tartus, including areas near Baniyas and Ras Al Basit. Officials say the presence of unexploded ordnance has further complicated the response.

Syria’s coastal region contains much of the country’s remaining green space—roughly 4,000 square kilometres or 2% of the nation’s land, according to pre-war data. These forests have suffered from decades of illegal logging, unregulated construction, and overfarming.

Once a major wheat producer, Syria is now facing one of its worst droughts in decades and has relied on wheat imports since the late 2000s, due to groundwater depletion from illegal wells and poor rainfall.

The National