Syria’s Suwayda Plunges into Humanitarian Crisis Amid Sectarian Clashes
Nine days of escalating armed clashes in Syria’s southern Suwayda governorate, pitting local Druze-led armed groups against pro-government Bedouin fighters, have triggered a dire humanitarian crisis, Human Rights Watch reported Tuesday.
The conflict, exacerbated by Syrian government intervention and Israeli airstrikes, has caused widespread disruptions to essential services and ignited sectarian tensions across the country.
The recent fighting, which began on July 12, 2025, involved heavy confrontations between militias aligned with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, a Druze spiritual leader, and Bedouin groups. Although the Syrian government announced its intervention to restore order, residents reported looting, home burning, sectarian abuse, and summary executions by various armed factions. These clashes have resulted in at least 93,400 people being displaced, mostly within Suwayda governorate, according to the United Nations.
The conflict has crippled infrastructure, leaving much of Suwayda city without electricity, water, and telecommunications. Most hospitals are out of service due to physical damage, staff shortages, and supply disruptions, leading to growing public health risks, including unburied bodies. The first limited aid convoy from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) entered Suwayda on July 20, but humanitarian access remains severely constrained by insecurity and political obstacles.
Separately, a Syrian government fact-finding committee on Tuesday stated that 1,426 people died in March in attacks on security forces and subsequent mass killings of Alawites in the coastal region. The committee concluded that commanders did not order revenge attacks, identifying 298 suspects in violations against Alawites and 265 in the initial attacks on security forces. However, the Supreme Alawite Council condemned these findings as an “impudent play,” blaming the “de facto authority” of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government for the attacks and calling for an independent international investigation. A Reuters investigation last month, however, identified 1,479 Syrian Alawites killed and dozens missing from 40 sites of revenge killings, tracing a chain of command to individuals now serving in Syria’s new leadership.
Human Rights Watch is urging all parties in Suwayda to facilitate safe passage for aid, allow engineers to restore services, and protect aid workers. The Syrian government’s empowering of armed groups outside its command has exacerbated lawlessness, highlighting the urgent need for professional, accountable security forces to protect all communities without discrimination.
