Tested in Greece’s fires: An emergency force for 27 countries

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🗞️ Driving the news: Last week in the quaint village of Dadia in northern Greece, firefighters from all over Europe gathered to combat the advancing wildfires, marking some of the most destructive the continent has seen in recent history
• The scene painted a vivid picture of Europe's escalating challenges linked to the climate crisis

🔭 The context: In the past month, Greece's Evros region has seen fires scorch 198,000 acres
As Europe's climate crisis intensifies, Greece faces unparalleled heatwaves and wildfires, with Italy, Spain, and France also under threat of being next

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: As climate change intensifies, European countries grapple with natural disasters at an unprecedented scale
• The Greek fires underline the vulnerability of many regions and the need for international collaboration to manage such crises

⏭️ What's next: As climate-related disasters intensify and outpace national responses, rescEU may become the primary lifeline for affected countries

💬 One quote: "With the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, there’s a growing risk that national capacities may not meet the needs" (Janez Lenarcic, the European commissioner for crisis management)

📈 One stat: The E.U.'s joint disaster-fighting initiative, rescEU, operates on a budget of 23 million euros ($25 million) for this season. It includes 28 specialized aircraft and 440 firefighters from 11 E.U. countries

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