A rainstorm and flooding in northwest Syria have caused damage to displacement camps and crops in various areas, with the response of volunteer teams still ongoing.
The Syria Civil Defence rescue agency stated that the storm affected 750 families across more than 15 camps in the rural areas of Idlib and Aleppo, damaging more than 716 tents and temporary dwellings.
The damage included 216 tents completely damaged, 400 tents partially damaged, and 100 temporary dwellings affected.
The effects of the storm reached over 30 civilian residential homes, causing some livestock deaths and crop damages. The Civil Defence teams continue to respond today, Thursday, May 2.
Enab Baladi’s correspondents in northern Syria, indicated that appeals from the residents, especially those living in tents, continue for help, as the floods have left hundreds of families without their tents.
The floods led to the deaths of some livestock, along with substantial material damage to the possessions and simple needs of the residents and displaced, extending to wheat, barley, and cumin crops in the Idlib and Aleppo areas, which are strategic crops heavily relied upon by the locals.
The weather is expected to remain unstable over the coming days, according to meteorological forecasts, exacerbating the civilians’ plight and increasing the gap in humanitarian needs. The weak infrastructure threatens the spread of diseases as sewage mixes with floodwaters entering homes and camps.
Engineer Anas al-Rahmoon, residing in Idlib province, stated that active western winds will transition to strong intermittently but is not classified as a windstorm, will cross the country over the next 72 hours, followed by unstable weather conditions accompanied by rain and a drop in temperature on Sunday and Monday.
Hundreds of tents in northwest Syria were damaged by a rainstorm – May 1, 2024 (Syria Civil Defence)
Harsh weather conditions are forcing new displacements of civilians in their last refuge in the camps, leaving them shelterless after floodwaters swept away their tents, amid a significant decline in international humanitarian response, a lack of solutions to end the Syrians’ tragedy, and steps towards justice and accountability for the regime and Russia for their crimes.
In the past three days, several Syrian provinces experienced a dust storm, followed by warnings of potential floods and flooding due to unstable weather, including the city of al-Bab east of Aleppo, and areas in Deir Ezzor, among others.
Earlier in March, the Syria Civil Defence launched a project to improve the roads of more than 50 camps most at risk of floods and heavy rains in the rural areas of Idlib and Aleppo, covering more than 38,000 meters and creating 413 rainwater drainage points.
5.1 million people live in northwest Syria, including 4.2 million who need assistance and 3.4 million who suffer from food insecurity, 3.4 million internally displaced, and two million living in camps, according to the United Nations. Local statistics, however, report about 5.5 to 6 million people.