As wildfires continue to rage in Greece and thousands of tourists have been evacuated from Rhodes and, as a precaution, Corfu, European aid through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) is being stepped up to help fight the flames.
In response to the request for assistance made by the Greek authorities on 18 July, teams of firefighters were added to the immediate assistance initially offered (see EUROPE 13226/9).
On Sunday 23 July, the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, announced on his Twitter account that “over 450 firefighters and seven airplanes from the EU have been operating in Greece as fires sprout across the country”.
These fire-fighting teams and airborne resources have been made available by Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Of these resources, “81 firefighters, 26 vehicles and three planes are helping local teams fight extreme wildfires in Rhodes”, the Commissioner added.
In such cases, deployment is coordinated by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre, the pivotal body of the UCPM, which ensures that requests for help are matched with the assistance offered. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)