The al-Tabqah City Council in the countryside of Raqqa governorate (north-central Syria) has prepared, in cooperation with the district directorate, a camp that can accommodate around 500 families.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported today, Sunday, 8 February 2026, that the camp will be designated for people affected by flooding caused by heavy rainfall in Idlib governorate (northwestern Syria).
Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Raqqa said the camp, located in the al-Tabqah area, had previously been outfitted as a shelter center for displaced people from the Afrin region (northwestern Aleppo governorate) who were living in al-Tabqah, but it was not used for housing.
The correspondent added that the camp can host about 500 families and is equipped with tents and basic public facilities. He noted that residents of Raqqa and the al-Tabqah area have launched community initiatives to collect essentials for families, including furniture, mattresses, and blankets.
The campaign also included, according to the correspondent, food supplies and medicines, either to be delivered to the camp or transported to Idlib governorate. He added that no one from Idlib’s camps has arrived in Raqqa so far, amid unclear information about whether anyone will come in the coming period.
Heavy rainfall hit northwestern Syria on Saturday, triggering flash floods that resulted in child casualties, widespread damage to displacement camps, and threats to health facilities.
Severe damage and casualties
The rains damaged civilian communities, as well as 14 camps west of Idlib. The number of affected families in those camps is estimated at 300.
The Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, reported that two children died, and that a child and a young man were rescued in the areas of al-Asaliyah and Ain Issa in Jabal al-Turkman (Latakia countryside, western Syria) after floodwaters swept them into a steep, rugged valley.
The Civil Defence said its teams rescued the child and the young man and recovered the bodies of the two children, noting that the area is mountainous and far from displacement camps, and that there are no camps there.
A volunteer with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also died, and six others were injured, including five SARC volunteers, in a traffic accident involving a SARC team in Jabal al-Turkman (Latakia countryside) while the team was heading to respond and provide assistance to residents after the floods, on Saturday evening, 7 February.
The Civil Defence said its teams rescued the injured, recovered the volunteer’s body, and transported them to the university hospital in Latakia city.
Civilian evacuations
Civil Defence operations included evacuations, including:
- Evacuating patients, medical staff, and incubators from Ain al-Bayda Hospital due to flooding after the hospital was inundated, in the Khirbet al-Joz area (western Idlib countryside)
- Evacuating civilians from camps in western Idlib (Khirbet al-Joz, Ain al-Bayda, Badama)
- Evacuating a family from the village of al-Najiyah (western Idlib countryside)
- Evacuating families in al-Badrusiyah and al-Sheikh Hassan in Latakia countryside
In water drainage and road access operations, Civil Defence teams:
- Responded to 14 camps in Khirbet al-Joz, Ain al-Bayda, al-Masamik, and Badama (western Idlib countryside)
- Pumped water out of Ain al-Bayda Hospital (western Idlib countryside)
- Drained floodwaters and reopened roads in al-Janoudiyah, Mahambal, Ariha, al-Najiyah, Saraqib, Sarmada, Harim, and Idlib in Idlib governorate, as well as al-Badrusiyah in Latakia countryside, and Mardash and Shathah in western Hama countryside (central Syria)
Temporary shelter centers were also set up in schools in western Idlib countryside, in coordination with a joint operations room involving the relevant ministry, to receive families who lost their housing.
In its latest statement on flooding in northern Syria, the Civil Defence noted that its report covers developments up to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, 7 February.
It said its efforts focused on rescue operations, draining floodwaters, and reopening roads that were closed as water levels rose. Equipment and operations centers in the area and other regions were placed on alert and reinforcements were dispatched. Several specialized teams took part to speed up the response and limit the expansion of damage in Khirbet al-Joz (western Idlib) and surrounding areas, as well as in Latakia countryside.
Several areas in northern Syria witnessed sudden floods on Saturday, 7 February, caused by heavy rains, leading to difficult humanitarian conditions.
According to a public statement by the Syrian Civil Defence, water flowing through a seasonal channel swept through and flooded a number of tents in camps in the Khirbet al-Joz area (western Idlib countryside).
The storm’s impacts also extended to neighboring Latakia governorate, where heavy rains turned into dangerous torrents that trapped civilians and cut off roads, prompting complex rescue operations.
Latakia governorate called on residents of villages near tributaries of the al-Kabir al-Shamali River to exercise caution, stay away from the riverbed, and immediately report any emergency to the relevant authorities to protect public safety.
The country is expected to see a temporary stabilization in weather conditions over the next two days, followed by a new low-pressure system affecting the region on Tuesday evening, raising the risk of a repeat of the flooding and further compounding humanitarian challenges.
The post Al-Tabqah Council Prepares Camp to Host People Affected by Idlib Floods appeared first on Enab Baladi.