Fires in the Jordan Valley (Ghor) in northern Jordan have left local farmers facing heavy losses. Farmer Mohammed Hamdouni said this was the third time this year flames had spread to his lemon orchard, adding that the fires originated from Israel and that firefighting efforts were delayed due to the rugged terrain.
Head of the Jordanian Citrus Union Abdul Rahman al-Ghazzawi asserted that the fires started on the Israeli side and crossed the border into Jordanian territory. Al-Ghazzawi said Israel set fire to vegetation along the border for security purposes, but the flames got out of control and spread to the orchards.
Head of the Jordanian Farmers Union Mahmoud al-Awran announced that initial estimates suggest around 1,000 dunums of lemon orchards have been damaged. Al-Awran said the Israeli side has caused fires three times this year, and called on the Ministry of Agriculture to coordinate with the Foreign Ministry to take diplomatic action with the Israeli authorities. He also suggested that affected farmers file lawsuits in national and international courts.
Al-Ghazzawi stressed that farmers struggle with frost in winter, and water shortages and fires in summer, saying: 'Fires destroy years of hard work within hours.'
The Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture stated that it had warned farmers about the fire risk, dispatched machinery to the area, and taken preventive measures.
Jordan Valley MP Khalifa al-Diyat submitted a parliamentary question to the government about the fires. Al-Diyat asked about the extent of damage over the past five years, what diplomatic steps had been taken, and compensation paid to farmers.
According to official data, citrus orchards in the Jordan Valley cover about 66,000 dunums and account for 82 percent of the country's total citrus production. With farmland in the area reaching 118,000 dunums, the fires threaten this sector critical to food security.
