July 1, 2024
The USAID-Funded Community Support Program Enables the Jurd El Qaitaa First Responders Team to Respond to Six Forest Fires in Akkar in June 2024
The Jurd El Qaitaa Union of Municipalities is composed of fifteen towns and villages located in the mountainous forested region of Akkar governorate, Home to around 130,000 Lebanese residents and 4000 Syrian refugees, the union struggles with recurring wildfires which have negatively affected rural tourism in the area and lead to tensions between residents on the causes of the fires.
In 2022, USAID’s Community Support Program (CSP) supported the union to better respond to the wildfires by equipping the union’s truck with necessary fire response equipment including a water pump, a fire-resistant water hose and tank, fire hammers, and protective gear. Equally important, CSP trained the Union’s first responders’ team on the operation and maintenance of the provided equipment, rescue techniques, and live fire drills.
Since 2022, this intervention, has improved the preparedness and early fire response in the area and has contributed to the preservation of Jurd El Qaitaa natural resources. With the start of the 2024 summer season in June and amid an unprecedented heatwave, the Jurd El Qaitaa first responders’ team has already successfully extinguished six forest fires preventing their spread in the area.
“If the team wasn’t well-equipped, there would have been a real disaster in the area. USAID’s assistance also enabled the team to respond to fires outside the union, including in the villages of Rahbe and Tikrit,” said Abdelillah Zakaria, head of the Jurd El Qaitaa Union of Municipalities.
