Today's top news: Syria, Niger

Last year, families in a camp for the displaced in Idleb, north-west Syria, were moved into dignified shelters provided by Mercy-USA and funded by the Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund. 16 April 2023. OCHA/Ali Haj Suleiman

#Syria

The ongoing heatwave, with temperatures between 30 °C and 46 °C is putting lives at risk, particularly in the north-west where millions of people live in camps and settlements.

Yesterday, a one-year-old girl passed away in a displacement camp in Idleb after her health deteriorated due to extreme heat. The infant and her family lived in a three-year-old tent in a camp hosting 860 people. Our partners reported that at least 165 tents in the camp lack proper thermal insulators to protect people from extreme weather conditions.

A plan, launched by the UN and our partners, to move displaced people in north-west Syria out of tents and into dignified shelters is being implemented. However, living condition remains harsh for 800,000 people who still reside in tents today, often in overcrowded conditions.

The summer months also saw the spread of fires across the region. In July, at least 134 fires have been reported across north-west Syria. Partners reported over 320 fire incidents that have affected over 720 tents housing displaced people since the start of the year.

Some 1.9 million displaced people live in some 1,430 camps or self-settled sites in north-west Syria, the majority of whom are women and children.

#Niger

We are very concerned about the situation in Niger.

The UN in Niger confirms that humanitarian assistance, development and peace programmes continue in the country.

Only the UN Humanitarian Air Service flights are temporarily grounded due to the closure of Niger's airspace.

The UN and our humanitarian partners remain fully committed and engaged to supporting vulnerable people in Niger affected by a combination of climate, economic and security shocks, in a context of very high humanitarian and development needs.

In 2023, before this political crisis, Niger had 4.3 million people in humanitarian needs, with 3.3 million in acute food insecurity situation, the vast majority of whom are women and children.

We reinforce the humanitarian appeal to all partners to further support the humanitarian operations in Niger, which, to date is only 32 per cent funded.