Floods destroy homes of earthquake survivors in northwest Syria

Adwan Camp, Syria – Dozens of camps for the displaced in northwestern Syria were affected by floods after a severe storm hit the area late on Saturday.

The torrential rains at night in the western countryside of Idlib caused damage to hundreds of shelters, many of which were recently established to house the displaced. Survivors of two earthquakes on February 6. The roads were also impassable in some areas, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets.

An official in the Syrian Civil Defense told Al-Jazeera that a number of shelters flooded camps in the towns of Hafsarjah and Bashmiron, and shops collapsed in the village of Adwan. Camps in the western and northeastern countryside of Aleppo were also damaged.

“The torrents caused damage to more than 40 camps set up for those affected by the earthquake, as more than 700 tents were damaged, a child was slightly injured, shops collapsed, in addition to the closure of a number of roads in cities and towns,” Munir Al-Mustafa, deputy director of the Syrian Civil Defencefor the island.

Al-Mustafa told Al-Jazeera that there were more than 300 tents earthquake survivors In 20 camps damaged. Most of them, he said, were quickly set up and lacked proper protection from winter storms.

“The tragedy experienced by the displaced cannot be solved by providing them with temporary services in the camps, because the tragedies can never end and deprive people of the right to live safely in their homes. The only solution is to provide safety for civilians to return to their homes, and this would also To reduce the need for humanitarian and relief support.

Askarah al-Mohammed said she and her three daughters had to flee their tent in Adwan camp in Sahl al-Roj when floods began at night.

“I was with my daughters inside the tent when the rain started to seep into the tent and wash away all our belongings. We ran out of the camp without taking anything with us from the tent,” said Al-Mohammed (50 years old).

Mohammed said She lost contact with her daughters for hours in the chaos Before Sunday located them at a house in a nearby village, where they had fled overnight.

“It was a very difficult night. On the one hand, I was shivering from the cold, and my back was hurting because I have back problems. On the other hand, I was thinking about my daughters and what might happen to them.”

“I cannot believe the misfortunes that have befallen us successively, because today I have lost everything inside my tent, and I do not know how I can replace it. I am unable to perform any work duties due to my illness and age.”

The director of the Adwan camp, Abu Abdullah, told Al-Jazeera that most of the families living in the camp, which is located in a low-lying area, are displaced from the town of Qalaat al-Madiq in the western countryside of Hama governorate.

“About 223 families out of 240 families living in the camp are now homeless as a result of the torrential rains,” Abu Abdullah said.

He added, “All camp residents have been transferred to schools and mosques in the villages surrounding the camp as a temporary solution, pending a study of our situation by international organizations to rebuild the camp and provide urgent assistance.”

The stormy weather is expected to continue on Sunday and the region is expected to see a drop in temperatures, according to meteorologists.

Saleh Al-Ahmad, 37, lives in Adwan camp with his wife and two daughters.

When it rained late Saturday, he said, he hurried to help his daughters and his sick wife get out of the tent.

After his tent became uninhabitable after the flood, Al-Ahmad moved his family temporarily to stay with his sister, who lives in a nearby camp that was not affected by the rainstorm.

“The camps, the earthquakes, the floods. Life has become very difficult since the day we fled our town to escape the bombing.” [Syrian President Bashar al-] “Assad’s forces and Russia,” al-Ahmad said.

We are tired of our calls to all countries of the world to intervene to solve our tragedy and return us to our cities and villages.