Extreme heat puts displaced people in Syria at risk: UN

UNITED NATIONS, July 28 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians on Friday warned of the risk for displaced people in Northwest Syria in temperatures from 30 to 46 degrees Celsius.

A one-year-old girl died on Thursday in a displacement camp in Idlib after her health deteriorated due to extreme heat, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The infant and her family lived in a three-year-old tent in a camp hosting about 860 people. Partners on the ground reported that at least 165 tents in the camp lack proper thermal insulation to protect people from extreme heat and other weather conditions, said OCHA.

"A plan, launched by the UN and its partners, to move displaced people in Northwest Syria out of tents and into dignified shelters is being implemented," it said. "However, the 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 Northwest Syria. Over 320 fire incidents have affected over 720 tents housing displaced people since the start of the year, said OCHA.

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