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world news Diamars 19 Juli 2022

Europe broils in heat wave that fuels fires in France, Spain

(AP) — A heat wave broil-
ing Europe spilled north- In France, heat records were
ward Monday to Brit- broken and swirling hot
ain and fueled ferocious winds complicated firefight-
wildfires in Spain and ing in the country’s south-
France, which evacuated west.
thousands of people and
scrambled water-bomb- “The fire is literally explod-
ing planes and firefighters ing,” said Marc Vermeulen,
to battle flames in tinder- the regional fire service chief
dry forests. who described tree trunks
shattering as flames con-
Two people were killed in the sumed them, sending burn-
blazes in Spain that its prime ing embers into the air and
minister linked to global further spreading the blazes.
warming, saying, “Climate
change kills.” “We’re facing extreme and
exceptional circumstances,”
That toll comes on top of he said.
the hundreds of heat-related
deaths reported in the Iberian Authorities evacuated more
peninsula, as high tempera- towns, moving another
tures have gripped the conti- 14,900 people from areas
nent in recent days and trig- that could find themselves
gered wildfires from Portugal in the path of the fires and contain the blazes in the Gi- of thousands of people and waves are more intense,
to the Balkans. Some areas, choking smoke. In all, more ronde, where flames neared blackened 220 square kilo- more frequent and longer
including northern Italy, are than 31,000 people have been prized vineyards and bil- meters (85 square miles) of because of climate change —
also experiencing extended forced from their homes and lowed smoke across the Ar- forest and scrub. and coupled with droughts
droughts. Climate change summer vacation spots in cachon maritime basin famed have made wildfires harder
makes such life-threatening the Gironde region since the for its oysters and beaches. Passengers on a train through to fight. They say climate
extremes less of a rarity — wildfires began July 12. Zamora got a frightening, change will continue to make
and heat waves have come Spain, meanwhile, reported a close look at a blaze, when weather more extreme and
even to places like Britain, Three additional planes were second fatality in two days in their train halted in the wildfires more frequent and
which braced for possible re- sent to join six others fight- its own blazes. The body of a countryside. Video of the destructive.
cord-breaking temperatures. ing the fires, scooping up sea- 69-year-old sheep farmer was unscheduled — and unnerv-
water and making repeated found Monday in the same ing — stop showed about a “Climate change kills,” Span-
The hot weather in the U.K. runs through dense clouds of hilly area where a 62-year- dozen passengers in a railcar ish Prime Minister Pedro
was expected to be so severe smoke, the Interior Ministry old firefighter died a day ear- becoming alarmed as they Sánchez said Monday during
this week that train operators said Sunday night. lier when he was trapped by looked out of the windows a visit to the Extremadura re-
warned it could warp the rails flames in the northwestern at the flames encroaching on gion, the site of three major
and some schools set up wad- More than 200 reinforce- Zamora province. More than both sides of the track. blazes. “It kills people, it kills
ing pools to help children ments headed to join the 30 forest fires around Spain our ecosystems and biodiver-
cool off. 1,500 firefighters trying to have forced the evacuation Climate scientists say heat sity.”

UN decries rising death toll, rights violations in Haiti

(AP) — The U.N. human a resolution renewing the my Laurence, spokesperson to ensure that fundamental that come from private enti-
rights office on Saturday mandate of a U.N. office in for the U.N. Human Rights human rights are “placed at ties.
expressed concern about the troubled Caribbean na- Council, laid out those dan- the front and center of their
rising violence around tion and calling on all coun- gers. responses to the crisis. The The U.N. agencies said some
Haiti’s capital, saying 99 tries to stop the transfer of fight against impunity and gangs even deny access to
people have been report- small arms, light weapons “We have so far documented, sexual violence, along with drinking water and food in
ed killed in recent fight- and ammunition to anyone from January to the end of the strengthening of human order to control the popula-
ing between rival gangs there supporting gang vio- June, 934 killings, 684 in- rights monitoring and re- tion, aggravating malnutri-
in the Cite Soleil district lence and criminal activity. juries and 680 kidnappings porting, must remain a prior- tion.
alone. across the capital,” he said ity”, he said.
U.N. humanitarian agencies Saturday. In addition, “Over U.S. Deputy Ambassador
The warning came hours af- said they were ready to help a five-day period, from 8-12 The Security Council reso- Jeffrey DeLaurentis said the
ter the U.N. Security Coun- embattled communities once July, at least 234 more peo- lution drafted by the United new resolution will allow the
cil unanimously approved it is safe to do so, and Jere- ple were killed or injured in States and Mexico was ap- U.N. mission to promote
gang-related violence in the proved 15-0 Friday. It de- political dialogue and bolster
Cite Soleil area of the city.” manded an immediate ces- the capacity of the Haitian
sation of gang violence and National Police to control
He said most of the victims criminal activities — a point gang violence and protect
“were not directly involved stressed by China. human rights.
in gangs” but were targeted
by them. “The heavily armed gangs A year after the unsolved as-
are becoming increasingly sassination of President Jo-
Separately, the U.N,’s hu- sophisticated in their actions, venel Moïse, gang violence
manitarian affairs office re- conducting simultaneous, has grown worse and many
ported that 99 of the recent coordinated and organized Haitians have tried to flee a
casualties in Cite Soleil were attacks in different areas,” country that seems to be in
deaths. Laurence said. economic and social freefall.
Attempts to form a coalition
Laurence called on gangs to The government, he said, government have faltered,
halt the violence, while also has a duty to protect citizens’ and efforts to hold general
urging Haitian authorities right to life even from threats elections have stalled.