At least one child was killed in northern Syria this week when a storm covered the tented camps in snow amid frigid cold, compounding the misery of thousands of people displaced by the Mediterranean country's decadelong war.
The child died and its mother was in intensive care after their tent collapsed due to the heavy snow in the Qastal Miqdad area, as a result of the storm that struck on Jan. 18, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. In addition, two children were hospitalized due to the cold.
"I was scared the tent would crash on the kids," Abu Anas said in Zaitoun camp in northern Syria, after his family fled from eastern Gouta, an area on the outskirts of Damascus that was devastated by the conflict.
"It is a miserable situation. No heating, a tent that is not suitable even for animals. Our situation is bad," he said after Storm Hiba struck.
In his camp, people laid stones across puddles to create footpaths.
The United Nations has warned about flooding once the snow starts to melt. Around 362 tents had been damaged in the region as of Jan. 19 and more than 400 families had been affected, according to the U.N.
In the northern camp of Abraz, one of the worst affected places, families had to be evacuated, the U.N. said.
The storm also disrupted life elsewhere in Syria. In government-held areas, universities and other educational institutions postponed exams. Syria's ports temporarily closed.
For over a decade, the Bashar Assad regime, backed by Russia, has ignored the needs and safety of the Syrian people, only eyeing further gains of territory and crushing the opposition. With this aim, the regime has for years bombed civilian facilities such as schools, hospitals and residential areas, causing the displacement of almost half of the country’s population.
Frequent bombings and shelling have put nearly 50% of the health facilities out of service, just as the Syrian people need them the most amid the coronavirus pandemic. Many are struggling to meet basic needs, living in overcrowded tent camps or even out in the open in safe areas near the Turkish border.
Nearly 75% of the total population in the opposition-held Idlib region depends on humanitarian aid, as 1.6 million people continue to live in camps or informal settlements, OCHA said.