World Monday: Slogan is Evacuation
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing wars and natural disasters
From Russia to Palestine, thousands have been displaced. On Monday, August 12, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region, located on the border with Ukraine, ordered the evacuation of the Krasnaya Yaruga district due to attacks by Ukrainian armed forces.
The Krasnaya Yaruga district, home to some 14,000 people, about 70 kilometers west of the capital Belgorod and 50 kilometers south of Sudzha, was the scene of fierce clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
The sudden Ukrainian offensive began August 6 in the nearby Russian region of Kursk. In order to block the advance deep into Russian territory, the Moscow’s army is using Iskander tactical missiles and heavy artillery. The Ukrainians responded by launching unguided missiles from the American M142 high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS).
According to the Russian news agency TASS, more than 75,000 people have already been evacuated from the Kursk region and in particular from areas bordering Ukraine, which in turn has ordered the evacuation of 20,000 people from its side of the border, in the Sumy region.
On the other side of the world, in Palestine, the Israeli army has ordered a new evacuation of the town of Khan Younis, south of Gaza, after identifying the infrastructure, from which Hamas will operate: “Due to the use of this humanitarian area for terrorist activities and the firing of missiles at Israel from the suburb of al-Jalaa, it has become dangerous to stay in the area,” an Israeli army spokesman said before launching a new ground operation in the city.
The civilians were ordered to move to the town of al-Mawasi, located on the Mediterranean coast, to an area described by Israeli forces as “safe.” Khan Younis had already been largely destroyed by fierce fighting between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hamas guerrillas.
Finally, the evacuation order was also heard by thousands of Greek residents: three hospitals and eleven municipalities were evacuated due to a massive forest fire near Athens. The fire broke out on Sunday, August 11, in Varnava, about 35 kilometers northeast of the capital, and burned an area of about 100 square kilometers in a few hours. Between Sunday and Monday, due to strong winds, it spread southward, spreading along various fronts and covering in particular Grammatiko, Marathon, and the area of Mount Pentelicus, closer to Athens.
Greek Minister of Emergency Situations and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias said that “more than 670 firefighters and 27 forestry brigades with more than 180 ground vehicles, 17 Canadair refueling planes, and 15 special helicopters are trying to tame the flames.” So far, no luck. The sky in Athens is covered with smoke and ash. In some parts of the country, the maximum fire danger level will be in effect throughout the week.
