A tentative ceasefire that has mostly held in Suwayda since 20th July has yielded a new tactic from interim authorities: a government-imposed blockade. While a small number of Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) food deliveries are being allowed to enter Suwayda, most humanitarian convoys have been turned away by Damascus-backed fighters, particularly along an officially designated “humanitarian corridor” between Busr al-Harir in eastern Daraa and Al-Dour in western Suwayda. Interim officials appear to be leveraging restrictions on food, energy and medical supplies as a form of collective punishment against Suwayda, falling back on a policy of siege after failing to force a military surrender there.
While the threat of Israeli intervention has limited the military options of interim President Ahmad al-Shara’a’s administration for the moment, a renewed assault by government-backed tribal forces remains on the table. Despite the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Suwayda, the province’s resistance to Damascus’ authority has been hardened by violence, looting and systematic destruction of villages over the past two weeks. Locals are clearly indicating a renewed resolve to fight any attempted advances by pro-government forces.
Blockade on Suwayda
While the most acute violence recently destabilizing Suwayda over the past two weeks has subsided for the time being, conditions on the ground for most civilians have continued to grow more dire. Pro-government forces affiliated with interim authorities are imposing a near-total siege over the Druze-majority province. Security checkpoints are blocking all access routes to Suwayda, turning away virtually all vehicles carrying shipments of fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs as well as medical supplies.
While a small number of Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) vehicles are being permitted entry into Suwayda, primarily delivering food aid, most humanitarian convoys have been turned away by pro-government fighters. Even along the road between eastern Daraa’s Busr al-Harir and Suwayda’s Al-Dour, officially designated by interim authorities as an access route for humanitarian aid, General Security forces have refused entry to a number of aid trucks. On 28th July, one convoy of 27 SARC vehicles was allowed to enter Suwayda, delivering an estimated 200 tons of flour—at present representing only limited temporary relief to a local population of over 400,000 people. The restrictions come despite interim authorities’ de facto control over all SARC resources and operations.
Crossings between Suwayda and neighboring provinces remain closed to all civilians, while General Security personnel are preventing residents of 32 towns and villages in western and northern Suwayda from returning to their homes. Over 100,000 civilians are still living in situations of displacement, many of them in more southern areas of the province, at the time of writing. Perhaps most tellingly, General Security forces and allied Bedouin factions have embarked on a campaign of systematic looting and destruction across dozens of Druze villages under their control inside Suwayda. Entire towns, now emptied of their Druze populations, are being picked apart for raw materials.
Humanitarian Fallout
As a result of the ongoing siege, food has begun to disappear from markets and shops across the province. Larger warehouses of food supplies have been systematically looted over the course of the fighting in recent weeks. There are a total of eight main food warehouses in Suwayda, two of which have been completely looted. As of Thursday, local officials from the Suwayda Chamber of Commerce and warehouse owners estimate that food stocks will run out within approximately 10 days if no new supplies arrive.
Suwayda has already completely run out of flour, while farmers in western Suwayda have been blocked from accessing their land during the crucial summer harvest season, further exacerbating shortages. The province needs approximately 125 tons of flour daily to meet the needs of local public and private bakeries. The previously existing reserve of approximately 475 tons of flour has been consumed over the last two weeks as, other than humanitarian aid, no new supplies have entered the province since military operations began in mid-July. It is estimated that approximately 320 tons of flour have entered the province through aid organizations, including SARC, in the past 10 days. Amidst a near-total absence of goods and commodities, the price of a single bag of bread has soared to 200,000 Syrian pounds––approximately 50 times the price in other Syrian regions.
With the tacit approval of Damascus, Bedouin factions have continually sabotaged power lines following repeated repairs—particularly in eastern Daraa. As a result, the electricity infrastructure is completely destroyed in an estimated 34 towns and villages across Suwayda. Ensuing electricity cuts have critically disrupted water supply systems, forcing the majority of the population to consume contaminated water.
Local hospitals have been overwhelmed with thousands of casualties stemming from the past weeks of violence and face critical shortages of fuel needed to operate essential medical equipment. The government-imposed blockade is also beginning to seriously limit supplies of crucial medicines needed to treat the injured. There are four public hospitals in the province: three of them (the Suwayda, Shahba and Salah hospitals) are under the management of the Suwayda Health Directorate; the Salkhad Hospital is directly affiliated with the Ministry of Health. While experiencing severe supply, fuel and water shortages, and overstretched staff, the Suwayda, Shahba and Salah hospitals continue to provide emergency surgical operations, while the Salkhad Hospital has stopped all surgical operations and is only able to provide emergency first aid.
