In Syria, intensive fighting continued in Aleppo, Ar-Raqqa, Rural Damascus and Homs. Intensive clashes which ignited at the start of the month between Government and opposition groups in the governorate of Lattakia appeared however to have ceased. At the start of the week, the US warned that a military strike against Syria was imminent, following the alleged use of chemical weapons near Damascus on 21 August. By the end of the week, President Obama indicated that he would seek congressional approval of the Congress before undertaking such an action. Against this background, Damascus accused opposition forces of using chemical weapons to prompt an international military intervention, while the opposition has accused the Government for this attack. Meanwhile, almost 2 million Syrians have been registered with UNHCR or are awaiting registration in neighboring countries.
Since early August, Pakistan has experienced severe rains and flash floods across the country. As of 29 August, the number of affected stood at between 1.3 and 1.5 million people across the country according to the authorities. The floods have reportedly killed 193 people and injured over 1,100 people.
From June to August, several provinces in the Northern and Central part of Laos were flooded due to heavy continuous rainfall while the country was affected by two tropical storms Jebi (31 July–3 August) and Mankhut (5-7 August). According to the UN, an estimated 119,625 people have been affected by the flooding with over 20 people killed in 7 of the country’s 17 provinces.
