ISTANBUL

Floodwaters from the Orontes River inundated a number of homes and commercial buildings in the western Idlib province after heavy rainfall.

According to the SANA news agency on Sunday, the river’s water level rose sharply following torrential rain, causing flooding in residential neighborhoods and commercial areas in the city of Darkush.

The Media and Communications Administration at Syria’s Defense Ministry said all necessary support will be provided to help affected residents in the Idlib and Latakia countryside following the flash floods.

On Saturday, two children drowned after they were swept away by floodwaters in Latakia countryside, while another child and a young man were rescued from the same rugged area.

Meanwhile, a volunteer with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was killed in a traffic accident involving the organization’s team in Jabal al-Turkmen in Latakia while heading to respond to the emergency. Six others, including five volunteers, were injured in the incident and were all transferred to a hospital for medical attention.

Winter conditions and recent rainfall have compounded the suffering of thousands of displaced families living in camps across Idlib province. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Syrians live in makeshift camps in Idlib and northern Syria under harsh conditions, with their situation worsening each winter due to fuel shortages, high prices and a lack of basic services.

Between 2017 and 2020, nearly two million civilians fled attacks by former Syrian regime forces, many seeking refuge in areas near the Turkish border, where large displacement camps remain concentrated.