By Kouthar Sambo
Amid ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza, Palestinians have shown remarkable empathy for those affected by the devastating Los Angeles (LA) fires. Many LA residents impacted by the fires have expressed gratitude for this compassion, despite Palestinians enduring some of the world’s most documented violence.
Meanwhile, critics and civil society groups question why the world have not responded to events in Gaza with the same urgency as they have to the LA fires.
LA fires: Natural disaster or negligence of developed nations to poorer communities?
The Pacific Palisades, a polished coastal residential area, has been declared the most destructive fire zone in LA’s history, with firefighters struggling to access sufficient water. Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive show, geopolitical analyst Ashraf Patel attributed the crisis to climate change driven by industrialization, overdevelopment, and ecosystem erosion.
“The fires stem from the El Niño phenomenon, which involves the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean,” explained Patel. He emphasized that these issues highlight the political responsibility of developed nations, whose actions have disproportionately harmed poorer communities.
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Photo: sourced [screenshot]
