“Our goal is the protection of human life. These are the clear instructions given to everyone involved in this major firefighting effort,” said President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, today. He emphasised that full restoration of damages will be undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus.
Speaking to journalists this afternoon at the Firefighting Operations Coordination Centre in Limassol, the President stated:
“Since yesterday, we’ve been managing an unprecedented situation for the Republic of Cyprus. There’s no prior comparison. This situation is clearly made more difficult by weather conditions. Anyone who has been to the fire fronts will have seen this firsthand.”
“Our primary goal is the protection of human life, and that’s the clear directive for all teams involved in this massive operation. I want to repeat that with regard to material damage, full restoration will be provided by the Republic of Cyprus. I have already spoken with the Minister of Finance.”
He continued:
“For those whose workplaces or businesses have been affected and are unable to operate, the state will provide support. I’ve already spoken with the Minister of Labour.”
The President also assured that Civil Defence and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare are responding to the housing needs of displaced residents.
“Doctors and nurses are present in all affected communities. I want to thank them for being there to support our fellow citizens.”
He extended heartfelt thanks to all those making “superhuman efforts” in extreme conditions:
“I want to publicly thank Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Sweden, Spain, and Greece for their response to our request for help—especially given that these countries are also facing similar challenges at this time.”
“We are receiving some encouraging signs, but we are not complacent. The situation remains difficult in the Omodos area. It’s critical to contain the fire while aerial units can still operate, given the weather conditions. Again, protecting human life is the top priority.”
When asked whether the EU RescEU mechanism could have been activated sooner, the President said:
“RescEU was activated immediately. The challenge is Cyprus’s geographical distance, and the fact that many European countries are currently facing similar emergencies. That’s why neighbouring states were able to respond more quickly.”
On whether the fires are now under control, the President replied:
“I don’t want to say they’re under control yet. There are experts on the ground who can make that assessment. The outlook is better, but we’ll leave it to the specialists. We want to buy time before nightfall to allow aerial units to operate further.”
Regarding the arrival of Israeli aircraft, the President confirmed:
“Yes, Israeli aircraft are arriving tonight and will begin operations immediately. These aircraft are capable of night-time operations.”
Asked whether a post-crisis evaluation would be carried out, he replied:
“Our first priority is the protection of human life—I want to stress that again. Of course, a full assessment will be conducted. Every department and service involved is required to evaluate the situation, and the findings will be made public.”
Responding to a journalist’s observation that tragedy was not avoided, given that two people died, the President said:
“Unfortunately, tragedy was not avoided. We lost two of our fellow citizens. And yes, the media are rightly focusing on this painful fact. It is a significant loss for our country.”
“At the same time, those who were at the fire fronts know how real the risk was of losing many more lives. In several cases, emergency services were forced to remove people from their homes, even against their will. Thankfully, these actions helped prevent further loss of life.”
Also read: LIVE/Limassol fire: “No active fronts” – Battle with flare-ups
