France condemns the destruction by Daesh of part of the Temple of Bel, the largest temple in the ancient city of Palmyra.

This attack against an archeological gem listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, following the destruction last week of the Temple of Baalshamin, shows that Daesh is persisting in its criminal determination to destroy the cultural diversity in the Middle East that dates back thousands of years.

France, together with its international partners, is more determined than ever to combat this terrorist group and to mobilize the international community.

Dominica –Tropical Storm Erika

Tropical Storm Erika hit the island of Dominica on August 28, leaving much of the country without electricity and cutting off supplies to the southeastern part of the island.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development immediately mobilized its efforts to assist the authorities and population. Our embassy opened a crisis unit. 64 people were rescued by a helicopter belonging to Martinique’s sécurité civile [emergency services], funded by the ministry’s crisis and support center – including 40 French citizens, 2 German citizens and 22 people of other nationalities. We are continuing our efforts to locate, contact and, if necessary assist, our compatriots.

In addition, within the framework of our partnership with the Airbus Helicopters Foundation, France has made a helicopter available to the local authorities in order to provide the most affected areas with the necessary medications, water, and food.

Our “Travel Advice” page on the France Diplomatie website highlights the need to remain vigilant during this period of tropical storms and hurricanes in the countries of the Caribbean region. We encourage people to pay careful attention to the information issued by the local authorities regarding possible hurricanes or tropical storms, to comply with the recommendations provided on the France Diplomatie website and to automatically register themselves on the Ariane website.

Algeria – Oran to welcome 2012 Mediterranean Games

France congratulates the city of Oran, which was selected to host the 19th edition of the Mediterranean Games, in 2021.

This success reflects the exceptional commitment of the Algerian authorities.

We wish Algeria, and especially the city of Oran, the utmost success in organizing these games.