President Nikos Christodoulides has announced that €890,000 raised by businesses and the public following the devastating wildfires that swept through the Limassol district in July 2025 will be distributed directly to the affected communities, with local authorities deciding independently how the funds are to be used.
The announcement came at a meeting held in Pachna with community leaders from the mountainous Limassol region, convened to review a recovery effort now in its eighth month.
"These funds will not be kept by the central government," President Christodoulides noted, according to a Presidency press release. "They will be allocated to the communities for projects that you yourselves will choose." He added that the disbursement would take place immediately.
State support scheme
The President outlined a comprehensive state support scheme with a total budget of approximately €60 million, describing it as the most extensive and financially generous disaster relief plan ever implemented in Cyprus. He recalled the loss of two citizens in the fires, noting that their memory "reminds us that behind every disaster there are people, families and communities being tested."
He said that in the immediate aftermath of the fires, €400,000 was disbursed to Community Councils for emergency needs, while a further €850,000 was allocated to strengthen their operational capacity. A sum of €2.3 million was paid out to cover basic needs for approximately 300 families who lost or suffered serious damage to their homes, funding temporary housing and psychological support. Between late July and September 2025, 246 adults and 88 children were housed in temporary accommodation.
A rental subsidy scheme launched in September 2025 — covering up to two years — has so far benefited 134 families, with 89 still drawing support as of early March 2026.
Around 940 applications were assessed under the property restoration scheme, with total compensation estimated at approximately €30 million. Of the 520 recorded residences, 215 were completely destroyed and 305 sustained partial damage, alongside warehouses and commercial premises. Compensation of roughly €3.3 million has already been paid to 1,435 farmers and livestock breeders. Two consecutive schemes totaling €9 million were launched to revitalize the agricultural sector, with €2.5 million already disbursed to 842 beneficiaries.
Lease payments on around 250 Turkish Cypriot and state land contracts used for agricultural purposes were waived for the period from August 2025 to the end of July 2026.
The state electricity authority provided free electricity for two months, worth up to €500 per household, while mobile and fixed telecommunications networks were fully restored by the end of August 2025. Water network repairs totaling €300,000 have been completed.
Thirty-one businesses received €870,000 in compensation for destroyed raw materials and goods, plus a further €640,000 for vehicle and equipment damage. Workers and the self-employed affected by business closures received monthly payments totaling €421,000 over a three-month period. Tourism businesses benefited from a per-bed grant of €1,000 and an additional lump-sum payment equivalent to 40% of turnover.
Environmental recovery has been a priority
According to President Christodoulides, environmental recovery has been a stated priority, with €220,000 spent on waste management, €485,000 on flood protection works, and reforestation and vegetation management ongoing. All listed archaeological sites in the area have been inspected and restoration is under way. Local cultural life received approximately €50,000 for community events and €20,000 through a cultural decentralisation programme.
The President also announced the government's decision to restructure the institutional framework for natural disaster management and create a dedicated civil protection mechanism. Turning to current pressures on the livestock sector, he said the Cabinet would adopt a concrete action plan on Monday.
"We responded to the consequences of the fire with a sense of responsibility," President Christodoulides said. "We will meet the challenges of this difficult moment with the same responsibility."
(Source: CNA)
