U.S. sanctions impede wildfire fighting in Syria

LATAKIA, Syria, July 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. 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 km were burned entirely.

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