DAMASCUS, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Severe winter weather has hit large parts of northern and central Syria for the third time this season, damaging displacement camps, flooding residential areas, and disrupting access to vital services, the United Nations said Thursday.
Between last Thursday and Saturday, heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, strong winds and flooding affected several provinces, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The storm followed earlier waves of harsh weather at the end of December 2025 and earlier this month.
In the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, the snowstorm affected 37 camps housing approximately 2,800 internally displaced people, according to the UN OCHA. The extreme weather destroyed 264 tents and partially damaged another 1,496, leaving many families exposed to freezing conditions.
Hama province was also severely impacted, with flooding, strong winds and infrastructure damage affecting 2,583 families. In Homs province, rising river levels in the Um Jameh area collapsed a bridge and flooded nearby homes, forcing 25 people to evacuate, the agency said.
Heavy snow, ice and floodwaters temporarily blocked access to several camps and key routes, hindering aid delivery. Weather forecasts indicate moderate precipitation across northern Syria over the next 24 hours.
Humanitarian partners supported by the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operation have begun responding to the affected households through emergency multipurpose cash assistance, aimed at helping families meet urgent needs during the winter conditions.
The storm exacerbates the dire winter conditions facing millions of displaced Syrians, many in tents or unfinished shelters, compounding years of conflict with acute humanitarian needs. ■
