After the massive fire that occurred in South Saida on May 6, 2021, URDA’s emergency relief team cooperated with the municipality of Saida to help provide assistance to “Hasba Camp” and many tile-roof houses in DarbAlSeem. The assistance included 32 food parcels and hot meals to 32 affected families.
In less than an hour, the fire was able to reach many tile-roof houses and camps before leaving them as ashes. No injuries were reported, but few cases of suffocation occurred and got the treatment on the ground.
Mr. Kamel Kuzbar, member in the municipality of Saida, roamed the place with URDA’s emergency relief team to assess damage and prepare a rescue plan for the affected Lebanese families.
Mr. Fares Fares, the director of the Relief Sector in URDA, said that fire occurs with different causes from time to time. In summer, fire may occur due to high temperature or cooking supplies, while in winter it may happen due to heating facilities like the traditional ones that require fuel.
Moreover, Mr. Fares stressed the importance of fire equipment and staff for skill-based training in the camps and houses. This plan has been worked upon by URDA’s teams in different Lebanese regions.
The Relief team’s role in URDA is not limited to providing assistance for Syrian refugees and Lebanese families in need. The team is ready to respond to emergencies like storms, disasters and conflicts to save lives and help decrease damage as much as possible.