Flooding from heavy rains across several Syrian provinces has killed at least five people, including four children, the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said on Thursday. Five others, including two children, remain missing.
Thursday marked the second day the ministry recorded responses to flooding across the country, and it is continuing to issue situation updates on its X account.
The country has faced the threat of heavy rains and flooding before. UNICEF reported in June that 17,000 people had been adversely affected by flooding so far in the year, with 700 families displaced, including around 2,000 children, and 49 water treatment plants in the Deir Az Zor and Raqqa governorates out of service.
The ministry reported infrastructure damage and disruption to bridges in the Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, Hasakah and Homs areas. State news agency SANA said al-Salmani Bridge, west of Tabqa, had collapsed in the flooding, shutting the road linking Raqqa to Aleppo. Emergency teams reported rescuing 15 civilians whose vehicles were trapped by the floodwaters, and the ministry said it had evacuated about 375 families from three camps on the rural outskirts of Raqqa. A displaced Syrian man was photographed standing in floodwater at the al-Talae displacement camp in Hasakah after the rainstorm.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- At least five people are dead, including four children, and five more are missing after storms across northern and eastern Syria.
- The collapse of al-Salmani Bridge has shut the road linking Raqqa to Aleppo, disrupting travel and supply routes.
- The floods have hit displacement camps, forcing the evacuation of 375 families in a country where many people already live in temporary shelters.
Background
Syria has endured more than a decade of civil war that has displaced millions and left much of its infrastructure damaged, making storms and flooding more destructive when they arrive. The current floods are the latest of several to hit the country this year, with UNICEF reporting in June that thousands had already been affected by flooding.
What to Watch
- Whether the five missing people, including two children, are found by search and rescue teams.
- Continued situation updates from the ministry as the storms move across the country.
- Further damage to roads, bridges and water treatment plants if the rains continue.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedFlash floods killed five people in Syria.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Flash floods kill five in Syria.”
- SupportedFour children were among the dead.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “leaving at least five people dead, including four children”
- SupportedHeavy rains drenched several Syrian provinces.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Heavy rains have been pouring over several Syrian provinces”
- SupportedFlooding killed at least five people, including four children.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “leaving at least five people dead, including four children”
- Partly supportedThe ministry said on Thursday that at least five people had died, including four children.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The four children all drowned in bodies of water across Raqqa and Deir Az Zor governorates, the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management said in a statement on Thursday. A man also died when his car was caught in floodwaters near al-Salmani Bridge”
- SupportedFive people, including two children, remain missing.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Five others, including two children, remain missing in the storms that have drenched the country.”
- SupportedThursday was the second day the ministry recorded responses to flooding across the country.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “Thursday marked the second day the ministry recorded responses to flooding across the country.”
- SupportedUNICEF reported in June that 17,000 people had been adversely affected by flooding so far that year.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “UNICEF reported in June that 17,000 people had been adversely affected by flooding so far in the year.”
- SupportedUNICEF reported that 700 families had been displaced, including around 2,000 children.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “At the time, the UN agency said 700 families had been displaced, including around 2,000 children”
- SupportedForty-nine water treatment plants in Deir Az Zor and Raqqa governorates were out of service.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “49 water treatment plants in Deir Az Zor and Raqqa governorates had also gone out of service.”
- SupportedAl-Salmani Bridge collapsed in the flooding, shutting the road linking Raqqa to Aleppo.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “State news agency SANA said al-Salmani Bridge, west of Tabqa, collapsed in the flooding, shutting the road linking Raqqa to Aleppo.”
- SupportedThe ministry evacuated about 375 families from three camps on Raqqa's rural outskirts.Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera: “The ministry said it evacuated approximately 375 families from three camps on the rural outskirts of Raqqa.”