DAMASCUS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Some 1,900 Syrian families have been directly affected, with thousands more at risk, as wildfires continue to ravage Syria's northwestern province of Latakia for an eighth consecutive day, the United Nations (UN) humanitarian agency said Wednesday.
According to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the wildfires, active since July 2, have spread across more than 40 ignition points, burning extensive areas of pine forest, agricultural land, and village outskirts.
The wildfires have caused substantial displacement of people and a rise in humanitarian demands, especially regarding shelter, water, and other essential services.
OCHA said that the hardest-hit communities are primarily areas where refugee returnees have settled, while a noticeable decline in return movements has been observed following the wildfires.
Meanwhile, Syria launched a rapid response program on Wednesday in cooperation with the World Food Programme to aid those affected by the wildfires in Lattakia, chief of agriculture authorities Amjad Badr was quoted as saying by the state news agency SANA.
Badr said the total areas affected by the wildfires were estimated at around 15,000 hectares, and necessary support, such as agricultural supplies and infrastructure services, would be provided to those affected. ■