Greece fires: Here’s how you can help the European countries affected by wildfires

Wildfires have rampaged through forests in Turkey, Greece and Italy this summer, leading to thousands of evacuations and some dead.

On Monday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis issued a public apology for failings in tackling the blazes. He pledged to reforest all destroyed areas and approved the launch of a €500 million (£423 million) package of aid for the island of Evia and Attica, the region that encompasses Athens, which have been most devastated by the fires.

In Turkey, the government has announced that 267 of the 270 forest fires that had swept 53 of the country’s provinces have been brought under control.

The remaining three are being dealt with and it is now working to cool the land, Dr Bekir Pakdemirli, the minister of Agriculture and Forestry said on Twitter on Monday.

Elsewhere, in Sardinia, Italy, some 900 people were evacuated from their homes at the end of July after wildfires consumed almost 50,000 acres of land.

On Monday, Mitsotakis warned that Greece is currently suffering its worst heatwave since 1987, with temperatures set to reach 45 degrees in the coming days.

The areas most at risk to fire across Europe and other parts of the world are forests of pine trees, which are highly flammable. Wildfires, which are caused either by human error or dry lightning, have been escalated by the scorching heat due to the lack of moisture in the wood.

As firefighters work to contain the spread of flames, here are ways you can help from home.

Turkish Philanthropy Funds, a US-based organisation is accepting donations from across the world. The contributions are being used to provide food, water and shelter to displaced people and animals.

The fund, which has collected $192,000 (£138,000) of its $250,000 (£180,000) target so far, will also provide support for front-line workers and volunteers. You can donate to the fund here.

International charity World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is currently collecting emergency funds to help stop wildfires and provide care for injured wildlife.

In Turkey alone, it predicts that 11,870 species of animals could be affected by the fires, of which 1,421 are endemic, and 121 are endangered.

It also uses its funding to build rehabilitation centres for displaced animals.

“We have just started up an emergency programme for rescue and care of the injured wildlife. There is much to be said and done once the emergency is over, but currently, all our efforts are on immediate action. We trust that you will stand with us in this historic mission,” Aslı Pasinli, the CEO of WWF’s Turkey base said in its call to action.

Hellenic Red Cross, the Greek arm of the International Federation of Red Cross, has opened a fundraiser for both financial support and food for those affected by the fires.

The team has been documenting its efforts to deliver food to victims and to help dogs who may have been separated from their owners during evacuation on Twitter.

The organisation is currently taking donations via bank transfer, of which the details can be found here. To ensure the money is used for the desired cause, deposits should be marked “Pyrkagies”.

News outlet Greek Reporter has also launched a fundraiser on Go Fund Me. It said that its work on the island of Evia, where firefighters are still tackling the blaze, has helped identify vulnerable families.

“We are also working with the local authorities in helping identifying those individuals and their financial situation. The funds will be broken up [into] increments of $2,000 and dispersed directly to the bank accounts of the fire victims,” the fundraising page states.

Italian environmentalist association Legambiente has estimated that 500 beehives were damaged in the Sardinia wildfires, affecting 30 million bees.

“We know that bees are positively responsible for 76 per cent of the pollination of food crops in Europe. So we can imagine what a fire like this might mean if it is not supported by the presence of these very important insects,” Annalisa Columbu, president of the association told News Opener.

In response, Legambiente has launched a new campaign called Save The Queen. The funds raised will support beekeepers who lost their bees, by providing hives and swarms of bees.

The money will also be used to help repopulate the area. A donation of €10 (£8) will donate 2,000 bees to beekeepers, while €80 (£67) can help 24,000 bees find a new home.

On Monday, a landmark report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) revealed there is “unequivocal” evidence that humans are to blame for rising land and ocean temperatures.

In a statement shortly after the report’s release, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the wildfires in Europe, are the result of extreme heat that “bears all the hallmarks of human-induced climate change”.

“The harsh reality of climate change is playing out in real-time before our very eyes,” WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas said.

“It is a foretaste of what faces future generations. Some of the negative changes are already locked into the climate system but others still can be addressed if we make strong, rapid and sustained reductions in emissions now,” Taalas added.

Aside from donating to charities that are helping victims and animals, there are a number of organisations working towards ending the climate crisis.

One key organisation in this area is the Climate Emergency Fund, which is helping mobilise society to bring more awareness to the world’s most pressing environmental issues.

The group funds leading activists who are demanding transformation and organising mass protests, such as Extinction Rebellion. Its current campaign, Tell the Truth, is calling on the media to increase its coverage of the climate crisis.

It found that in 2020, US broadcast outlets covered climate-induced disasters for 267 minutes, while Jeff Bezos’ space launch alone received 212 minutes of coverage.

The group accepts donations from across the world. You can support the cause here.

UK-based group, The Climate Coalition, has launched a 10-point plan of action to get the UK on track to net-zero emissions by next year.

Aside from donating to the cause, you can also sign the group’s declaration. This calls on UK prime minister Boris Johnson to vow to restore and expand green spaces in the UK, and increase support for people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis both here and abroad.

The website also has a “Take Action” section, which offers advice on individual changes you can make to your life to ensure lower your emissions.

You can sign the declaration and donate here.