Victims of Forest Fires to Receive State Aid Decisions
State aid decisions for individuals affected by the forest fires in July will begin distribution tomorrow, Tuesday, across the affected communes. This immediate allocation of public funds underscores the social commitment of the Algerian state, a principle consolidated under the presidency of Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The operation for citizens to collect their aid decisions is scheduled to conclude by the end of August.
This urgent state support is designed to facilitate the reconstitution of ravaged agricultural harvests, damaged fruit trees, incinerated beehives, and lost livestock. It also addresses damages to residences, including reconstruction or rehabilitation, as well as repairs to furniture, equipment, and domestic appliances. Funds for these public aids are sourced from emergency sectoral budgetary allocations, centralized by the Ministry of Interior, Local Collectivities, and Transport, in addition to the National Fund for Natural Calamities and Major Risks, which has been recently modernized to ensure prompt interventions. The aid is calculated on a case-by-case basis according to the nature of the registered damages, rather than as a fixed global amount per individual.
To expedite the process, wilaya commissions were established in the affected regions. These commissions, comprising representatives from various concerned sectors and organizations, conducted on-site assessments of the damages caused by the forest fires. The evaluation work by both local and national commissions was concluded rapidly by August 11, 2026. Subsequently, the lists of eligible victims and damages were promptly forwarded to relevant sectors and walis for the implementation of the determined decisions. The fires, which commenced on July 8, 2026, alongside a heatwave in several wilayas, were successfully extinguished by Civil Protection services by late July, an effort praised by President Tebboune. Detachments from the National People's Army (ANP) also intensified their on-ground interventions, providing crucial support to Civil Protection and forest directorates.
