'Part of the same land': Lebanese and Syrians join forces to fight wildfires

Volunteer firefighting service is bringing refugees and local people together to save Akkar province's ancient woodlandsSome of the trees in Akkar province are more than 100 years old, says Mohammed Abdallah. A refugee from the war just over the border in Syria, Abdallah has come to know the forests of northern Lebanon well and has spent recent days putting out a persistent blaze that threatened ancient woodland near Qabeit.He is one of 80 men and women of the First Responders team of Jurd al-Qayteh, drawn from 15 villages in Akkar, the region's largest volunteer firefighting unit. Wildfires are responsible for 26% of tree loss in Lebanon over the past 20 years. Rising temperatures and poor forest management have contributed to an increase this year in a season that lasts about 18 weeks through to late September. With the country in economic crisis, emergency services like firefighters are in disarray. Continue reading...