Algerian Radio
The Minister of Interior, Local Authorities, and Transport, Saïd Sayoud, affirmed Wednesday morning in Annaba that "the State is committed to standing by male and female citizens affected by the wildfires that hit several wilayas of the country in recent days," emphasizing that "public authorities are mobilized to provide all forms of support and accompaniment to those affected."
Mr. Sayoud—who was accompanied by the Minister of National Solidarity, Family, and Women's Affairs, Soraya Mouloudji; the Minister of Health, Mohamed Seddik Ait Messaoudene; the Minister of Youth in charge of the Supreme Council for Youth, Mustapha Hidaoui; the Director General of Civil Protection, Colonel Boualem Boughlef; and the Governor of Annaba, Abdelkrim Lamouri—explained that "the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune, attaches great importance to taking care of affected citizens and ensures that the State is present alongside them in such circumstances and ordeals," noting that "various State institutions will continue mobilizing their resources to accompany those affected and alleviate their suffering."
While assessing the care provided to individuals evacuated from Seraïdi to the Emergency Medical and Surgical Hospital in the municipality of El Bouni, the Minister highlighted that "caring for those affected is not limited to the material side alone, but also includes psychological and medical support. Doctors and psychologists have been deployed to accompany evacuated individuals, reassure them, and help them regain psychological stability after the difficult circumstances they endured due to the fires."
In the same context, he stressed that "the State will undertake an inventory of all material losses resulting from these fires," noting that "the assessment process will take place on the ground in coordination with various relevant departments to determine the extent of damage to citizens and their property before initiating compensation procedures as soon as possible."
Mr. Sayoud also stressed that "the priority at this stage is to ensure the safety and protection of citizens and to take care of the individuals evacuated from the affected areas."
Regarding the fires that broke out since late last week, Mr. Sayoud explained that "security authorities are continuing their investigations to determine the real causes behind their outbreak," noting that "around 160 fires were recorded across various wilayas in the north of the country."
He affirmed that "security investigations are ongoing to determine the nature of these fires and whether they were caused by natural factors or were criminal in nature," pointing out that "competent services are performing their duties and carrying out the necessary procedures and inquiries to identify responsibilities and the true reasons behind their outbreak."
In this regard, he emphasized that "the results of the investigations will allow determining the nature of these fires and the causes that led to their outbreak," confirming that "competent authorities are closely monitoring the situation."
The Minister also announced "the scheduling of field visits to a number of fire-affected wilayas in execution of the directives of the President of the Republic, including the wilayas of Guelma, Tlemcen, and Sétif, alongside others
He added that "the objective of these visits is to assess on the ground the situation of the affected citizens, listen to their concerns, and review the extent of the recorded damage."
