EU mobilizes aid to fight wildfires in Cyprus
The country requested assistance through the European Union (EU) Civil Protection Mechanism
Greece has sent two firefighting planes to help fight wildfires in the Paphos region, marking the first use of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism this year. As part of measures to prepare for the wildfire season, the EU has established a total fleet of 32 aerial firefighting assets and 556 firefighters, pre-positioned across Europe.
In addition, the EU is currently supporting eight wildfire prevention projects to strengthen national wildfire resilience capacities.
The Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “I thank Greece for its quick response to assisting Cyprus in fighting the wildfires in the Paphos region by deploying two firefighting aircraft. This is EU solidarity in practice.”
The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre is closely monitoring the situation.
The EU recently announced that its 2024 rescEU aerial firefighting fleet would comprise four helicopters and 28 fixed-wing aircraft.
Chloe Fox
Chloe Fox is an Senior Editorial Assistant for Voyageur Group, joining in 2024. She writes for AirMed&Rescue and ITIJ, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision, and air medical transportation. Chloe holds a BA (Hons) in English and an MA in English Literature from the University of Bristol.