Several countries have responded positive to the request of Greek authorities for assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) to combat the wildfire raging in north-eastern Athens since Sunday.
The Greek request was submitted on Sunday evening activating the EUCPM mechanism.
According to latest information on Monday evening, France will send one Super Puma helicopter for water dropping, which is expected to reach Greece later in the night.
Italy is sending two firefighting aircraft -Canadair -, expected to reach Attica on Tuesday morning.
The Czech Republic is sending 75 firefighters and 25 fire trucks, including among them 9 water trucks, all expected to arrive on Tuesday.
To support Greece's fight against the ongoing wildfires, the #EUCivilProtection Mechanism has mobilised:
🛩️ 2 firefighting planes from the #rescEU fleet in Italy
🚁 1 helicopter from the rescEU fleet in France
🚒 Ground firefighting teams from Czechia and Romania pic.twitter.com/GXBkPAYFbx— EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid 🇪🇺 (@eu_echo) August 12, 2024
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin ahs reportedly announced that France will send 180 firefighters, 55 trucks, and a helicopter. The French assistance is scheduled to start arriving on Monday evening.
The Czech Republic will send 75 firefighters with 25 vehicles, expected to arrive on Tuesday.
Currently, there are 40 Romanian firefighters are participating in the firefighting operation. They were deployed to Greece in early July as part of the EUCPM program. The Romanian embassy in Athens posted photos of the firefighting operations on X, highlighting the Romanian firefighters’ efforts alongside their Greek colleagues.
Fighting day&night against 🔥wildfires that rage #Attica region. 40 🇷🇴 firefighters&vehicles are deployed alongside their 🇬🇷 colleagues in a spirit of 🇪🇺 #solidarity& a continous effort to abate the flames.@IGSU_URGENTE_RO @CivPro_GR @pyrosvestiki @Vkikilias @MAIRomania @eu_echo pic.twitter.com/LPvFdm0KpW
— Embassy of Romania to the Hellenic Republic (@RomaniaInGreece) August 12, 2024
An offer for assistance from Spain and Turkey is expected to be finalized soon.
Meanwhile, also the Palestinian Ambassador in Greece offered assistance.
🇵🇸🇬🇷 The President of the State of Palestine Mr. Mahmoud Abbas in a message of solidarity with #Greece expresses #Palestine’s readiness to send Palestinian civil defense teams to assist its friends the Brave Greek civil defense teams in battling the wildfires. #φωτια #Παλαιστινη pic.twitter.com/ZHMjLfeII6
— Yussef Dorkhom (@PalestineJo) August 12, 2024
i have no idea, how Athens responded to his offer…
