環地中海の火災たち：チュニジアの記事メモ

　地中海の南側。ヨーロッパ側より温度が高い模様。チュニジアの一部では49度までになったとか。そりゃあ萌える。

BBC Tunisia fires: 'We had no water to douse the flames' 28 Jul 2023　By Bassam Bounenni

　ああ、つい一週間前まではオリーブや桃やアプリコットの果樹園を持っていたのに―という65歳の婆様の話から記事は始まる。

「The wildfires that have swept across the Mediterranean have left homes and business in ashes. Dozens have been killed in Algeria and across the border in the north-western Tunisian town of Tabarka, people are now assessing the damage.

When I meet Mounia Hamiss she is sitting outside on a mattress. Her home has been gutted by fire. The 65-year-old has lived near Tabarka all her life and less than a week ago had a farm with healthy olive, peach and apricot trees. Now their charred trunks are blackened and fragile.」

　…ちょっとなあ…果樹は、さしあたり実をつけるようになるまででも数年。商業用に採れるまでとなると、もう―なあ…。

　レストラン経営者のお話。

「"We left the restaurant as the flames approached," he tells me.

Any hopes he could save his business were dashed by the lack of water - like the rest of this region, Tabarka has been experiencing a heatwave with temperatures in parts of Tunisia reaching 49C.」

「However, he has vowed to rebuild his business: "I employ 22 people. They and their families need my help."」

　お店は壊滅したけど、22人も従業員がいるからな！　そいつらの家族を支えるためにも俺が事業をしなきゃあな！　という気合の入った親父。こういう職人がぞろぞろいてこそ社会は下支えされるというものだ―と感じ入る。