XM Group unveils €1m recovery programme for Limassol fire-hit villages

Local developmentsfireLimassolTop News XM Group unveils €1m recovery programme for Limassol fire-hit villages Xm Group Unveils €1m Recovery Programme For Limassol Fire Hit Villages Relevant News XM Group unveils €1m recovery programme for Limassol fire-hit villages 1 July 2026 New gov.cy service helps citizens find benefits they may be entitled to 1 July 2026 Delivery rider attacked, stabbed and robbed in Limassol 1 July 2026 Angelos Nicolaou 1 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Almost a year has passed since July 23, 2025, the day a devastating fire in mountainous Limassol claimed two lives and reduced 125 square kilometres of land, homes, property and green forest to ashes. In a moving and highly symbolic event held yesterday in Nicosia, XM Group presented its completed “Revive Limassol by XM” recovery programme, sending the message that hope is returning in the most emphatic way. Having committed a total of €5 million to the affected area, XM Group is now moving to its next step: the reconstruction of four communities, Souni-Zanatzia, Agios Amvrosios, Agios Therapontas and Vouni, through infrastructure projects worth over €1 million, underlining that recovering from a major natural disaster is not the exclusive task of state services, but the responsibility of the whole of society. At the same time, the Group’s efforts go beyond revitalising the affected communities through infrastructure works, extending to a significant donation to the Fire Service: ten mobile water tankers, each with a capacity of 56,000 litres, worth €150,000. The equipment will be used operationally to support aerial firefighting, particularly in forested and hard-to-reach areas, where securing an adequate water supply is a decisive factor in successfully tackling fires. Audiovisual material shown during the event highlighted the real value of the initiative, rooted in solidarity, cooperation and practical support. Families who lost their properties in the fires described, standing among the ruins of their homes, the first images after the disaster, whilst thanking XM Group for its immediate help. Ria Argyridou, XM Group’s senior Corporate Social Responsibility officer, underlined that the Group’s aim was to create the right conditions for a meaningful new start in residents’ lives, putting into immediate effect a holistic support programme for the affected areas. “These communities aren’t being rebuilt to be what they were. They’re being rebuilt to have a future,” said Stavri Morti, Co-CEO of XM Group. Morti explained that the XM team travelled to the communities not with ready-made plans in hand, but to listen to residents and community leaders. They asked one thing: what does your community need, she said, noting that the conversations led to the four major projects, expected to be completed within 18 months once the necessary permits are secured. The four projects Souni-Zanatzia: A modern, multi-purpose community park with playgrounds for all ages, padel courts, sports facilities and a café kiosk. Agios Amvrosios: A modern football pitch with artificial turf, changing rooms, a canteen and extensive tree planting, a modern space for the community’s children and young people. Agios Therapontas: A multi-purpose cultural pavilion with a café, event spaces, gardens and reading areas, a destination connecting the community with the natural landscape. Vouni: A multi-level community reception space linked to the historic Venetian Havouza, including a café beneath plane trees, a small lake, a climbing wall and panoramic views, a place built on the area’s history. Donation of ten water tankers to the Fire Service Fire Chief Nikos Longinos referred to the extremely difficult moments the Fire Service was called upon to manage during last July’s devastating fire. Longinos praised XM Group’s initiative, noting that it sends a strong message of solidarity, social responsibility and collective effort. Adding to this effort, he said, are the ten mobile water tankers, each with a capacity of 56,000 litres, which XM Group is donating to the Republic of Cyprus. This, he noted, is a particularly significant offer, one that substantially strengthens firefighting operational capacity and helps support ground and aerial forces more effectively when managing large fires. The Fire Chief presented a series of prevention and suppression measures being implemented by the Fire Service in cooperation with all state services, including: Forming prevention teams to identify hazardous points in communities requiring clearance Installing advanced electro-optical surveillance equipment in industrial areas and at the energy centre, along with cameras Positioning bulldozers and water tanker vehicles on standby in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca Staffing Rural Stations around the clock and reinforcing personnel to speed up response to any incident Operating the new, modern and flexible Crisis Centre to coordinate forces Emotion and gratitude from fire-hit community leaders The remarks of representatives from the fire-hit villages captured the scale of the contribution. Agios Amvrosios: “Healthy activity for our young people” Community leader Stelios Grigoriou spoke of a great day arriving after a period of deep hardship. “The new pitch is a social and sporting injection of life. Our teams will no longer need to travel abroad for training and matches,” he said, thanking XM for an investment in the area’s spirit and health. Vouni: “Where the state stands idle” Vouni community representative Matthaios Protopapas stressed the need to recreate the area’s burnt green lung around the Havouza archaeological site. “We’re aiming for the gradual return of greenery to our area. Where the state sometimes stands idle, private initiative comes to offer solutions and hope,” he said, thanking XM Group for its assistance in creating the community park. Agios Therapontas: “We weren’t left alone” Therapon Chrysostomou, president of the Agios Therapontas community, reminded everyone of the dark anniversary of July 23, 2025. “The destruction was immense, but XM supported our fellow villagers immediately. The redevelopment of the old Primary School into a modern multi-purpose venue carries enormous emotional value and seals our village’s rebirth from the ashes.” Souni-Zanatzia: Immediate relief Community leader in Souni-Zanatzia, Nikos Vikis, noted that his community suffered perhaps the most damage, as the fire “passed right over it.” He expressed his gratitude that XM Group provided immediate lump-sum payments to affected families, whilst the new community park will be a jewel for the area’s children. 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