The car park of a monastery on the slopes of Mount Lebanon has been turned into a temporary reservoir. Every few minutes, a helicopter swoops in, filling a tank dangling below it from a large pool fed by firefighters’ hosepipes.
The aircraft’s updraft soaks a dozen onlooking soldiers, and in an instant, it is sauntering off into the distant mountains to drop water on the smouldering ruins of Lebanon’s natural landscape — or what remains of it.
We have equipment that is stuck at the port or in other storage places, and not distributed to the Civil Defence because the politicians don't know to which area they want to give them
Samer El Khoury,
political activist
Wildfires have been ravaging Mount Lebanon and areas in the country’s south for three days but are largely under control now, say those responsible for leading the response. Yet those caught in the heat are exhausted and despondent. It is just the latest in a series of crises to hit the Lebanese people.
“We still had the beauty of this country. Now, it's gone,” says Fady Youssef who runs a tennis academy nestled among the cedars of Mount Lebanon outside the town of Monteverde.
“This is the only place where you could get away from it, in the mountains, now everything is gone,” he says.
Economic catastrophe
Mr Youssef was one of an ever-shrinking number of Lebanese business owners attempting to outlast a political and economic crisis that has bought the country to its knees.
A captain of the Davis Cup Team and former national champion, he opened up his tennis academy three years ago to nurture some of the country’s top talent.
On Monday afternoon, a young girl works on her backhand, patiently encouraged by her coach. In the background, the ash black carcasses of the country’s famous cedar trees continue to smoke — it is a vivid metaphor for a country where a disastrous economic collapse has increasingly taken on environmental dynamics.
Yet while play goes on today, it seems this weekend’s fires were a final straw for Youssef. He says he will leave Lebanon in the next two months.
“They don't want us to stay in this country. They want all of us to leave.”
The scorched earth, still smoking in some areas, runs right up to the academy’s car park. Metres away from the building’s generator a pile of leaves continues to smoke. If the generator had gone, so too would his business — he needs the spotlights to coach at night — there simply aren’t enough hours in the day for him to make a living.
Many The National spoke to said they worked through the weekend extinguishing flames creeping towards their homes and business, only for the fires to start up again after a few hours. Firefighting is a science, and done incorrectly, will only see the flames start up again.
Many are convinced that arson is behind the fires — they blame scavengers who have been illegally felling trees, an increasingly common practice amid the economic crisis.
Environment Minister Nasser Yassin also cried foul. “We can say that all these fires are of human origin,” he said on Monday afternoon.
“There is an intentional act and the Interior Ministry is working to determine who is responsible for this.”
Whether it was a natural disaster or something more malign, it is the state’s inability to respond that has angered people already battered by economic and political problems.
Divisive politics
Decades of grift have hollowed out the ability of the country’s Civil Defence and Army to respond to outbreaks of wildfires — for years three firefighting helicopters have sat grounded due to a lack of spare parts. In August, it was reported that the cash-strapped army was looking to sell them to raise funds.
“The environmental problems in Lebanon are political problems,” says Samer El Khoury, environmental spokesperson for Minteshreen, an opposition group born out of the country’s 2019 protests.
“We have equipment that is stuck at the port or in other storage places, and not distributed to the Civil Defence because the politicians don't know to which area they want to give them.
“The things they [Civil Defence] are asking for are very basic — they literally don't cost a lot. But you know how it goes; every bit of money that comes in for the aid of the country just stays in the politicians’ pockets.”
At the academy, Mr Youssef must continue with his day’s lessons. He is also preparing for a tournament in Kuwait in December.
“Who knows if they’ll even give us visas”, he says.
Nothing in Lebanon is straightforward, not even tennis.
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Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
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Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
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- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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