LATTAKIA, (ST): President Bashar al-Assad  visited this morning Balloran area in Lattakia northern countryside to be briefed on the damage and meet the locals within a tour to some areas which were affected by the fires a few days ago.

President al-Assad was briefed on the requirements of the locals of Balloran village, in the forefront of which was  securing the basic needs which assist in taking care of their lands and re-farming them as soon as possible.

Ministers of Local Administration and Agriculture and Agrarian Reforms ,Lattakia Governor, and director of Agriculture in the governorate  accompanied President al-Assad on his tour.

President Al-Assad also visited Bsout village in Lattakia.

In a statement to the Syrian media, President Al-Assad said that the government will provide financial support for the families, who have lost their resources, to help them remain in their lands and re-farm them as soon as possible.

“The main objective of this visit is to assess the details in order to make sure that the plans that we will put in place during the coming days are realistic and applicable and not only theoretical. We listened to very important ideas, especially since each area has certain details that differ from those of other areas and the solution differs from one area to another,” President Al-Assad said.

President Al-Assad noted that there are huge challenges to compensate for the loss, but these challenges are not difficult to overcome. The first is replanting the lands and restoring production to help the locals remain in their areas through providing seedlings and technical support. The second is the humanitarian and financial support for the rural families who lost their resources. And third, is being aware of exploitation attempts by some people who may seek to buy land cheaply after it burnt to the ground, thus turning green agricultural land into real estate areas.

He described the disaster that occurred as a national Catastrophe in the human, economic and environmental sense, stressing that the government will support all the fire-affected areas and individuals without exceptions. He pointed out that this visit will be followed by similar ones in order to get more details.

The President saluted the civil defense teams, for, despite weak firefighting capabilities, spared no effort to bravely put out the fires. He also greeted the heroes of the Syrian Arab Army who are present at all fronts.

President Al-Assad’s tour also included Kfar Dbayel town in the countryside of Jableh city, where the fires destroyed a large part of the town's forests and woodlands

 K.Q. / Hamda Mustafa