ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A snowstorm that hit northern Syria in late December affected around 158,000 people across 90 displacement sites, particularly in northeast Syria (Rojava), where many of the camps are located. The storm killed two toddlers and damaged thousands of shelters, the United Nations reported.
In a report released Tuesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the storm damaged around 5,000 shelters, either partially or completely, leaving families exposed to freezing temperatures and raising the risk of hypothermia and respiratory illnesses. Two toddlers died from cold-related causes in northern Idlib, UN humanitarian partners were quoted as stating.
The report further noted that the UN and its partners require $112 million to provide life-saving winter assistance between September 2025 and March 2026, but have received only $29 million so far, leaving a 74 percent funding gap.
In Rojava-administered areas, camps in Hasaka and collective shelters in Raqqa face a “100 percent gap in heating fuel coverage” after previous fuel support ended in December, OCHA said, warning that vulnerable families remain at risk.