°®Âþµº

Northwestern was hit by rainstorms on Sunday which damaged tents housing more than 1,200Ìýinternally displaced personsÌý(IDP), according to Syria'sÌýCivil Defence, better known as theÌý.

The rainstorm resulted in 215 completely damaged tents and over 1,000 partially damaged tents, affecting overÌý1,100Ìýfamilies in the countrysides of and , the groupÌýtold °®Âþµº.

The rainstorm has exacerbated the terrible conditionsÌýof IDPs, most of whomÌýfled northÌýfollowingÌýÌýon opposition areas in other parts of the country.

"During the past 48 hours, the Syrian Civil Defence teams responded to 132 sites that were affected by torrential rains... the displacedÌýare on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe,"ÌýMousa Zidane, theÌýWhite Helmets' media coordinator, told °®Âþµº.Ìý

IDPs are living in freezing conditions and lackÌýbasic necessitiesÌýincluding heating and sanitation, while the coronavirus continues to spread across Syria.

With affected IDPs losing the little possessions they had to the floods, local NGOs have called on international relief groups to step in.

Fadel Abdul Ghany,Ìýthe founder and chairman of theÌýSyrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) monitor, urged relief groups toÌý provideÌý"urgently needed essential[s]" to those in need.

"This is an urgent appeal... we request and prioritiseÌýsending furniture, sleeping necessities andÌýheating material [to camps]," Ghany toldÌý°®Âþµº.

There are around 4 million IDPs in northwest Syria, many of whom are unable to access their homes elsewhere in the country due to war andÌýfear of reprisals.

"The only solution is to provide safety for civilians to return to their homes, which the Assad regime and theirÌýRussian allyÌýprevented them from doing," Zidane said.

The Syrian war, which resulted in over 500,000 deaths, led to over 6 million Syrian civilians becoming internally displaced and a further five million fleeing the country in search of safety and stability.