Lebanon fires symbolise the failure of a state

▶ Large forest areas were ablaze for days, with authorities unable to rein in the destruction

This week, Lebanon was reeling under its worst wildfires in decades. Entire homes and villages were destroyed and pine trees and cable poles taken out, largely in the southern Chouf region but also in the north of the country with images of the destruction making international headlines.

No picture captured this tragedy better than that of a Lebanese soldier pouring water from a bottle in a futile attempt to douse the fire. There were no fire trucks, water cannon or firefighters rushing to the scene; just one man desperate to help but left with no means to do so. His gesture has become a symbol of all that has gone wrong in Lebanon.

This catastrophe could have been nipped in the bud. Instead, authorities were left to face their own incompetence as homes, shops and lush greenery burnt to the ground. Underfunded and short of means, the Civil Defence could not be dispatched to all the affected areas. In many cases, civilians were left to fend for themselves. One volunteer – Salim Moujahed, a brave father of two – died of a heart attack as he battled the blaze. The government could have put to use three helicopters it had been donated to stop the fires, but for the past 10 years, cash-strapped authorities failed to maintain them. As a result, the aircraft were unusable. Twelve years ago, Lebanon suffered from devastating fires forcing authorities to launch a national fire management strategy. It was never implemented. This cycle of inefficiency and neglect left authorities scrambling for help this week. Army helicopters were rushed to the mountains to put out the flames, while the government asked Cyprus, Greece and Jordan to send firefighting planes. Even Palestinian firefighters left the refugee camps to aid in stopping the inferno from spreading.

Not only have authorities proved they were unable to protect the country and keep its residents safe when this should be their prime concern but, worse, some officials banked on this tragedy to pursue their own sectarian agenda. Mario Aoun, a member of parliament, said on television: “There are large question marks around the fires, at the risk of sounding sectarian, but why were all the fires located in Christian areas?” In reality the fires also raged in Druze areas and spread to mostly Muslim-populated regions in the north, even extending to the Syrian coast.

Mr Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri have called for an investigation into claims of arson. In the meantime, speculation can only serve to deflect attention from those who need it most and provide excuses for the state’s failings.

The Chouf region that fell prey to the fires is a microcosm of Lebanon’s diversity. A verdant mountainous region where Christian, Druze and Sunnis live side by side, it is also home to the nation’s largest cedar reserve. That authorities have failed to keep people safe, from Mechref to Akkar, and protect the pine trees that have come to be a symbol of the nation, should put them to shame.

All efforts must go into replanting and rebuilding the affected areas, and halting the mismanagement that led to this tragedy.