Algerian brothers left homeless by wildfires

Algerian brothers Khelaf and Lyazid Tazibt are rooting through the rubble that once formed their home.

Deadly wildfires tore through the forest around their village .

While the brothers were able to save their families from the flames, they couldn’t save anything else.

They are now among hundreds of Algerians left homeless by the country's worst fires in memory which have burned swathes of the northeast over the last week, killing dozens of people.

"Suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by flames. We couldn't even intervene, so we preferred to take the children out to avoid human losses. When it comes to material loss, there is nothing we can do about it. Like anyone else who saw these flames, it was impossible to do anything, we all gave up.”

Their village of Ait Sid Ali, in the northeastern Bejaia province, sits in rocky hills and was previously surrounded by forest.

This month, a European Union atmosphere monitor said the Mediterranean had become a wildfire hotspot as massive blazes engulfed forests in Turkey, Greece and North Africa, aided by a heat wave.

The fire that suddenly engulfed this village killed four people, they said.

The surrounding hills are now a mass of scorched trunks.

The two families are waiting for compensation and rehousing by the government.

And in the meantime are receiving donations of food, medication and blankets from local aid organizations.

"We have lost everything. The images are enough, we have nothing to add."