When Floods Hit Displacement Camps
On 7–9 February 2026, heavy rainfall triggered extensive flooding across 21 IDP sites in Idleb and northern Lattakia governorates, directly affecting 5,300 displaced people in some of Syria’s most vulnerable communities (OCHA Flash Update No. 3). Two children were swept away and killed by floodwaters. A Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer was killed and six staff injured in a traffic accident while responding to the emergency. The floods rendered Ain Al-Bayda hospital inoperable and damaged or destroyed nearly 2,000 shelters.
This disaster did not arrive in isolation. Syria is in the grip of an escalating climate crisis that sits atop fourteen years of conflict and displacement. A mega-drought in 2025 affected 14.5 million people — the largest climate event in the country’s recorded history (EM-DAT). The GDACS regional drought alert has been active since October 2024. Yet the shelter and winterization response remains 72% underfunded, with only $31 million received of $112 million required (FTS).
This briefing draws on PRISM’s multi-source data infrastructure — EM-DAT, GDACS, HDX HAPI rainfall anomalies, OCHA flash updates, FTS funding data, and INFORM risk indices — to map the intersection of climate hazards, displacement vulnerability, and chronic underfunding that defines Syria’s humanitarian landscape in early 2026.
Flash Floods in Northern Syria
Between 7 and 9 February, sustained heavy rainfall caused flash flooding that inundated 21 IDP sites — most of them informal — in the Kherbet Al-Jouz area of Badama and Darkosh sub-districts, Idleb countryside (OCHA Flash Update No. 3). The damage was immediate and severe: 1,850 tents partially damaged, 149 destroyed, alongside 30 houses and several shops.
The human toll was devastating. Two children died in Ein Issa–Ein Bnar village after being swept away by floodwaters. A SARC Disaster Management Coordinator was killed when the response vehicle fell into a valley in Turkmen Mountain, and six personnel were injured. An additional 986 families were displaced from the Kherbet Al-Jouz area, and Ain Al-Bayda private hospital — a critical facility in the region — was rendered completely out of service, forcing the evacuation of patients and staff to Jisr Al-Shughur and Idleb.
Emergency Response
- Health: Seven mobile medical teams deployed; a 2.3-ton shipment of medicines and emergency kits dispatched to the Idleb Directorate of Health.
- Shelter: Emergency response activated — tent repairs, replacements, and distribution of blankets, mattresses, clothing, and plastic sheeting. Access road rehabilitation and drainage improvements planned.
- Collective shelters: Three schools designated as temporary shelters near Kherbet Al-Jouz; five additional schools prepared in northern Lattakia.
- Relocation capacity: Authorities confirmed 1,500 housing units in Afrin, 100 in Lattakia, and 2,600 caravans for families returning to areas of origin.
170,000 Displaced in Eastern Syria
The February floods coincide with a massive displacement crisis in eastern Syria. As of 25 January 2026, over 170,000 internally displaced people were recorded across 178 communities in 27 sub-districts of Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, and Ar-Raqqa governorates (OCHA Flash Update No. 2). Qamishli alone hosts approximately 97,900 IDPs, followed by Al-Malikiyyeh with around 32,000.
More than 30,000 people departed collective centres in Ar-Raqqa and Tabqa, moving primarily to Al-Hasakeh governorate. The opening of two humanitarian corridors on 25 January and a ceasefire extension on 24 January provided temporary relief. Convoys of 24 and 30 trucks carrying multi-sectoral assistance were dispatched or planned for Qamishli. Yet camps including Newroz, Areesha, and Sere Kaniye continue to face service gaps, overcrowding, and onward movements.
A Decade of Escalating Climate Shocks
Syria’s flood and drought history reveals an alarming escalation. The EM-DAT database records 9 major flood and drought events since 2006. The 2008 drought affected 1.3 million people and is widely cited as a driver of rural-to-urban migration that preceded the 2011 conflict. The 2021 drought hit 5.5 million. But the 2025 drought — affecting 14.5 million people — dwarfs all predecessors, impacting nearly 60% of Syria’s population.
Floods, while affecting fewer people in absolute terms, are particularly devastating for displaced communities living in informal settlements and damaged infrastructure. The 2019 floods affected 235,000 people; the 2021 floods 142,000. The February 2026 event, while smaller in scale, struck the most vulnerable: families in tents and makeshift shelters with zero resilience to water ingress.
A Country of Climate Extremes
HDX HAPI rainfall data for 2024 reveals a deeply polarised climate picture across Syria’s 14 governorates. While the national mean stands at 96.4% of the long-term average — slightly below normal — this masks extreme variations that drive both drought and flood risk simultaneously.
Eastern and southern governorates face acute water stress: As-Sweida averages just 83.4% of normal rainfall, followed by Dar’a (86.0%) and Al-Hasakeh (88.6%) — the breadbasket region that produces most of Syria’s wheat. Conversely, coastal governorates received excess rainfall: Tartous at 128.8% and Lattakia at 116.5% — precisely the region hit by the February 2026 floods.
INFORM Risk Profile: Climate Meets Conflict
Syria scores 7.5 on the INFORM Risk Index — classified as Very High and ranked 9th globally. The climate dimension is particularly alarming: Drought hazard scores 7.8 and River Flood 6.3, both at elevated levels. These natural hazards interact with a maximum-severity conflict environment (Projected Conflict Probability: 10.0) and extreme vulnerability (Health Conditions: 10.0, Uprooted People: 8.9).
The INFORM Severity Index rates the Syrian crisis at 4.5 (Very High), with “Drought/drier conditions” explicitly listed as a crisis driver alongside conflict and political instability. Humanitarian access is rated at Level 4 — among the most constrained in the world (ACAPS) — meaning that even when climate disasters strike, the ability to reach affected populations is severely limited.
Funding the Gaps
The shelter and winterization sector — the frontline of climate resilience for displaced populations — has received just $31 million of $112 million required, a 72% funding gap (FTS). This chronic underfunding means camps cannot be winterised, drainage systems go unrepaired, and families face each climate event in the same damaged shelters.
The broader funding picture is equally bleak. Syria’s 2026 HRP requires $3.19 billion but has received only $117 million (3.66%) (FTS). The Syria 3RP — covering 6.1 million refugees in neighbouring countries — requires $4.70 billion but has received just $312 million (6.7%). Syria is classified as the 8th most underfunded regional crisis and 18th most underfunded national crisis globally (UNHCR Underfunded Crisis Index).
Urgent Actions Required
The convergence of climate shocks, mass displacement, and chronic underfunding in Syria demands immediate and coordinated action across multiple fronts.