Over €700,000 paid to wildfire victims as aid rolls out
More than €730,000 has already been disbursed to families whose homes were destroyed or damaged in the deadly July wildfires, with authorities aiming to complete all emergency payments by early next week.
By Friday, 86 people had received lump-sum deposits intended to cover urgent needs for those whose homes were completely or partially destroyed.
According to the interior ministry, the government has so far provided financial aid for 43 homes that were destroyed and another 43 that sustained damage.
“We expect the process for this one-off payment to be completed by Monday or Tuesday,” said Charalambos Christofinas, commissioner for the development of mountain communities, adding that payments are being released in phases, with more due in the coming days.
The government says the goal is to rapidly cover the basic needs of those affected, under instructions from President Nikos Christodoulides for an immediate response to the disaster.
Meanwhile, clean-up efforts began Friday in fire-hit areas.
Skips have been placed in affected villages with the help of the environment department, while local councils, volunteers and private groups are clearing burnt debris from public spaces.
“This applies only to public areas, to avoid confusion,” Christofinas said, noting that private clean-up cannot begin until safety inspections are complete. Electrical systems and other hazards must be assessed first.
Private clean-up and reconstruction will form part of the total compensation package being evaluated by the scientific and technical chamber of Cyprus (Etek).
Contractors will handle these tasks at a later stage.
Conditions in affected areas are gradually improving, the commissioner added. Power has been mostly restored, with full reconnection expected by the end of next week. Around 90 per cent of homes now have water, and the water development department is working to resolve remaining issues.
On Saturday, six agriculture department teams began assessing additional damage to farmland, equipment and other property not previously declared, to ensure all losses are properly recorded and compensated.