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Floodwaters submerged dozens of displacement tents in northern Syria’s Idlib countryside after a river overflowed following heavy rainfall, prompting emergency evacuations and relief efforts, Syrian state media reported.
The flooding struck the Khirbet al-Jouz area, where recent downpours caused a nearby river to swell and inundate tents sheltering displaced families, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
Idlib Gov. Mohammad Abdel Rahman said heavy rain damaged and flooded more than 10 displacement camps across several parts of the province.
He said authorities ordered an urgent response to protect residents and address their immediate needs.
Schools and mosques were opened to temporarily shelter displaced families, Abdel Rahman said, while social affairs teams began distributing essential supplies. He added that staff and patients at Ain al-Bayda Hospital were evacuated to facilities in Jisr al-Shughur and Idlib City as a precaution.
“The governorate is monitoring the situation around the clock, coordinating with service and humanitarian bodies to speed the response, ease the suffering of affected families, and take all necessary measures to protect their safety,” Abdel Rahman said.
Emergency teams were deployed across the region. Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh said civil defense crews were responding to flash floods that submerged tents in Khirbet al-Jouz, working to clear water channels and evacuate families at risk.
Al-Saleh said teams continue to respond to incidents in Idlib, Sarmada, Jisr al-Shughur, Saraqib and parts of the Hama countryside, urging residents to avoid flood channels and areas where water accumulates.
In a separate incident, the Syrian Civil Defense said two children died, and a third was rescued after being swept away by flash floods caused by heavy rain in the Ain Issa area of northern Latakia province on Saturday evening.
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Earlier, SANA reported that Syria was being affected by a weather system bringing thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds to most regions, with conditions expected to continue through the evening.
The General Directorate of Meteorology said the system is intensifying during daylight hours over northwestern and coastal areas, with rainfall extending to central regions, eastern areas and western highlands. Rainfall has been heavy at times and accompanied by thunderstorms, particularly along the coast.
Winter conditions and recent rainfall have compounded the hardship faced by displaced families living in camps across Idlib province.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians remain in makeshift camps in Idlib and northern Syria, where fuel shortages, high prices and limited access to basic services worsen conditions each winter.
Between 2017 and 2020, nearly 2 million civilians fled attacks by former Syrian regime forces, many seeking refuge near the Turkish border, where large displacement camps remain concentrated.
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