• Syrians displaced in tents in Idlib’s countryside are facing vigorous floods, pushing them into another cycle of loss

Maedeh Sharifi and Moawia Atrash

A week-long rainstorm has wreaked havoc in northwest Syria, almost a year since the Turkiye-Syria earthquake devastated the region.

Already suffering the effects of a 12-year civil war and the aftermath of the 2023 quake, Syrians displaced in tents in Idlib’s countryside are facing vigorous floods, pushing them into another cycle of loss.

Faisal Al-Ali is one of the displaced Syrians affected by this week’s floods in western Idlib.

He said: “Yesterday, we woke up at 6:30 in the morning to the roar of water. We went outside, to the higher road, on the asphalt. When I returned, the tent was submerged with water, and I struggled to retrieve the children’s books and bags. However, everything that remained had disappeared, even the foundation panels, as you can see. Thank God we came out safely; that’s the most important thing.”

Al-Ali told Arab News that the floods had affected already dire economic circumstances.

He added: “At the very least, our losses amount to around two to three hundred dollars, and we don’t have a source of income.”

The UN has reported that over 1,500 family tents have been damaged by floods over the past two weeks. According to the same report, the UN has received only a third of the $160 million they need to help millions in Syria for last year and this year’s winter assistance.

In the midst of the harsh winter season, and with no help in sight, the plight of displaced Syrians in rebel-held Idlib appears bleak.

Hamdi Ashkar, an Idlib-based relief representative, is on the ground in Al-Zouf, a village heavily impacted by the flooding.

Ashkar said that some of the tents damaged by the floods were housing survivors displaced from last year’s deadly earthquake.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Turkiye-Syria border on Feb. 6, 2023, devastating the region and killing more than 50,000 people in total.

“We have witnessed heavy and prolonged rainfall in the region,” Ashkar told Arab News. “Many tents were heavily damaged, and shelters suffered some losses. Thankfully, the damages were limited to material possessions, and there were no human casualties. Praise be to God, no injuries occurred, but people lost their tents, furniture, and everything they owned in this location.”

Ashkar told Arab News that assistance was urgently needed to facilitate accommodation for those who had had their tents damaged and destroyed.