‘We cannot leave our people scared’: Tunisians rally together to heal after wildfires

People made homeless by Tunisia's wildfires have held protests in the village of Meloula as its 2,300 residents remain without electricity, running water and phone access.

But while government has so far failed to help, a sense of community is growing as those who were not impacted by fires in the northern Tabarka region pitch in.

Some tell tales of miraculous rescues; others donate money to help rebuild.

Dozens of wildfires erupted in Tunisia on Monday afternoon, spreading quickly to inhabited areas due to temperatures as high as 49°C and hot wind making the flames hard to control.

Many people lost their homes and 170 people were hospitalised with minor burns and smoke inhalation. One person has been reported dead after suffocating.

The fires were finally extinguished after three days, by which time 500 hectares of forest had been destroyed.

Volunteers and civil society activists have launched fund-raising campaigns to help those in shelters with basic needs such as food, water and medicine.

Online crowdfunding campaigns to support people to rebuild their homes and restart their businesses have also been launched and supported by Tunisian social media influencers.

More than 40.000 Tunisian dinars (about $13.000) has been raised in less than two days.

The power of a connected community

In the early hours following the eruption of the wildfires in Tabarka, Sami Khdhayreya and his friends sprang into action to alert people whose lives were at risk and rescue those trapped by the flames.

Mr Khdhayreya, an activist and a former member of the dissolved Tabarka municipal council, and Amel Aloui, the town’s former mayor, headed to an isolated house in the mountains where a father and his two daughters were battling flames all alone.

“We did not hesitate to answer the call of duty,” Mr Khdhayreya told The National.

“We took a minibus to the nearest area, however, as we found the path cut off midway, we continued by foot until a civil defence vehicle passed by and took us to the place,” he added.

Mr Khdhayreya said they got there in time and took the two frightened girls to safety, leaving the father to work with authorities to try to save his home from the advancing fire.

In videos circulating online when the fires started, people can be seen using their cars to evacuate people trapped in Meloula. Fishermen and tourist boats also headed out and started evacuating people and called for help.

In downtown Tabarka, where most evacuees first gathered, residents opened their homes and gave water and food to those in need.

“We threw mattresses in our backyard and let people spend the night there,” Tabarka local Donia told The National.

“We cannot just stay still seeing our families and children scared and tired with nowhere to go,” she added.

The aftermath

In Tunis, civil society organisations and individual activists appealed for people to bring donations to the headquarters of the General Tunisian Labour Union, where a fund-raising point was established.

The donations started arriving in Tabarka on Wednesday afternoon and distribution to those in need began right away.

“We were able to give donations to about 150 families so far, pending the arrival of another 1,000 assistance packages,” Mr Khedhayreya said.

“Tasks have been assigned evenly between people from the state and volunteers. We also have different groups assisting such as the Tunisian Red Crescent and Tunisian Boy Scouts,” he added.

Mr Khdhayreya said doctors have offered to help those suffering from burns and breathing issues due to smoke inhalation.

He said Tunisian architects and engineers who have volunteered will also arrive in Tabarka in the upcoming days to help start rebuilding homes severely damaged by the fires.

Tabarka has a 16.7 per cent poverty rate, according to Tunisia’s National Statistics Institute, and most families rely on agriculture and tourism to make ends meet due to limited development in the region.

Limited development also means that when crises as big as wildfires hit, the town is reliant on external help. Community-backed campaigns make a real difference in helping people to get back on their feet.

Last week another fire in Tabarka ravaged 500 hectares and destroyed four homes.

Forests cover 1.3 million hectares in Tunisia, with 70 per cent of them in the north-west and centre-west.