P.2 Morocco Red Crescent responds to Flash Floods

P.2 WFP extends Emergency Response to Syria Drought

P.2 Afghanistan: Bleak Outlook for Food Security in 2011

P.3 Numbers that mattered in 2010

* Netanyahu: Aircraft needed to fight major forest fires

By Ori Lewis

JERUSALEM, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Israel's firefighting services require a major overhaul after years of neglect, an official report said on Wednesday, days after the country was forced to ask for international help to douse its worst-ever forest blaze.

State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss's findings, compiled over several years and published two days after the fire in northern Israel that killed 42 people was extinguished, called

The Government of Israel and the local population highly appreciated the work of the Russian aviation.

In total, about 40 aircrafts were engaged in the fire extinguishing operation including two Il-76 planes and two amphibious Be-200 planes EMERCOM of Russia.

JERUSALEM, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Israel's most senior policewoman died on Monday of severe injuries suffered in a huge forest fire, raising the death toll in the blaze to 42.

Police said the fires that consumed more than 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares) of woodlands, millions of trees and more than 100 homes, were extinguished on Monday, five days after taking hold of the Carmel ridge outside the port city of Haifa.

Efforts to beat down the inferno were helped by overnight rains,and emergency equipment rushed to Israel from

HAIFA, Israel - The world's biggest firefighting plane on Sunday joined an international offensive against the worst forest fire in Israel's history, dumping tons of water and chemicals on the flames.

Despite fires sweeping hills around the northern city of Haifa for a fourth day, hopes were high that the arrival in Israel of the chartered Boeing Supertanker would finally tip the balance.

The Israeli military said that the plane's US crew had been joined by two Israeli air force pilots and a base commander, acting as liaison.

Hundreds of MDA personnel are working all over the region of the fire on the Carmel. Many of them are treating the wounded and are busy with saving lives in different places.

Pninit Boyev , a senior medic, yesterday arrived with the ambulance team close to the Damon Prison. Whilst the teams were off loading the equipment from the Mass Casualty Incident vehicle,

Last Friday, Mr Rosenthal, along with defence minister Hans Hillen, offered to send four helicopters to fight forest fires near the Israeli city of Haifa. The fires have been raging on the city's outskirts since Thursday. They are difficult to put out owing to dry conditions and strong winds.

Israel also said it would appreciate