Press Release

Press release by the Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, on the Emergency Allocation of USD 625,000 to Support the Wildfire Response in Lattakia

10 July 2025

Damascus, Syria, 10 July 2025 – The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, has announced the allocation of USD 625,000 from the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to support emergency response efforts for people affected by the wildfires in Lattakia Governorate.

The funds will enable humanitarian partners—primarily the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC)—to deliver urgent assistance to thousands of people affected by the fires.

“The wildfires have had catastrophic consequences on the local communities and require our immediate attention,” said Abdelmoula. “We stand in solidarity with the people of Syria during this emergency and will continue to do everything within our capacity to support partners in responding to those most in need.”

While assessments are ongoing in 60 communities, initial reports indicate that the blazes have displaced thousands of individuals, destroyed agricultural land and critical infrastructure, and severely disrupted the livelihoods of communities in the coastal region.

The UN is coordinating closely with local authorities and humanitarian partners on the ground and stands ready to mobilize further support as required.

“I call on international donors to provide urgent support in response to this emergency that already appears to be spiraling out of control,” said Abdelmoula. “Timely and flexible funding is critical to saving lives and protecting communities in moments of crisis.”

For more information:
Tamim Elyan, Communication Officer, Humanitarian Coordinator Office, Email: telyan@iom.int

Sevim Turkmani, Public Information Officer, OCHA Syria, E-mail: sevim.turkmani@un.org

Nathalie Fustier

RCO

Resident Coordinator a.i and Humanitarian Coordinator

Ms. Nathalie Fustier has over 30 years of experience in international relations, negotiations, and the management of political, humanitarian, and development affairs. She most recently served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Morocco, leading and coordinating the work of more than 21 UN agencies, funds, and programmes in support of the country’s development priorities. She previously held the same position in Saudi Arabia, where she coordinated the work of 23 UN entities.
Before that, Ms. Fustier worked with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in several leadership roles, including Head of Office in Lebanon and Gaziantep (Turkey), and Senior Humanitarian Affairs Specialist for the Middle East at UN Headquarters in New York.
Earlier in her career, she spent eight years in the private sector advising international companies in the Gulf and the Middle East on risk analysis, negotiation strategies, due diligence, fundraising, and intercultural training. She also served as the volunteer Chair of the Women’s Foundation for the Mediterranean.
For three decades, Ms. Fustier has worked on Middle Eastern affairs. She has served as Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs at the French Embassy in Doha, worked with the United Nations’ Oil-for-Food Programme and the Department of Political Affairs in New York, and served in the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Baghdad. She also spent eight years in Paris overseeing the work of the Delegation for Strategic Affairs for the Middle East and North Africa.
Nathalie Fustier holds a master’s degree in political sciences from the Institute of Political Studies (Aix-en-Provence, France) and a master’s degree in international Negotiation from Aix-Marseille University (France).

She is married and has one son.

UN entities involved in this initiative

OCHA

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Goals we are supporting through this initiative