Red Cross says Red Crescent volunteer dies during flood rescue mission in Syria
According to IFRC, a vehicle was swept into valley in Jabal al-Turkman area, killing 1, injuring 4 others with varying degrees of severity
An aerial view shows the extent of damage in tent camps following heavy rainfall and flash floods in the Idlib province of northwestern Syria on February 08, 2026. Severe weather conditions affected 15 camps in the eastern countryside, rendering approximately 300 makeshift tents unusable and leaving many displaced families without shelter as water levels rose in settlements located near riverbeds.
GENEVA
A volunteer with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent died while carrying out a humanitarian rescue mission during flooding in northwestern Syria, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Sunday.
In a statement, the IFRC said Samiha Rakhamiya was responding to reports of people stranded by floods in rural Lattakia when the incident occurred.
According to the statement, a vehicle was swept into a valley in the Jabal al-Turkman area, killing Rakhamiya and injuring four other volunteers with varying degrees of severity. A fifth volunteer was hurt while attempting to rescue a child stranded by floodwaters, it added.
Rakhamiya had served with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent for more than 12 years.
"She was among the first responders to earthquakes and fires and most recently served as Disaster Management Coordinator in Lattakia, leaving a lasting impact on her colleagues and the communities she supported," the IFRC said.
