Alawite Residents in Damascus Face Threat of Forced Evictions in Al-Sumariyeh

Alawite Residents in Damascus Face Threat of Forced Evictions in Al-Sumariyeh
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Alawite neighborhoods in Damascus are reportedly under increasing pressure from forces affiliated with the Syrian transitional government, with residents of Al-Sumariyeh facing a 24-hour evacuation order that has sparked fear and concern about forced displacement, Shia Waves Agency reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that security forces linked to the transitional government have intensified their operations in Alawite districts of the capital. According to SOHR and media reports, residents in Al-Sumariyeh have been given only one day to vacate homes marked in green on official maps, a measure described by locals as a “direct threat of forced displacement.”

Al-Akhbar newspaper cited Abu Hudhaifa, a regional security official, as personally visiting the neighborhood to deliver a verbal warning that demolition of homes would begin “within hours” if residents did not comply with the evacuation order.

Residents say this latest measure follows months of mounting pressure aimed at altering the demographic composition of Damascus. Alongside security operations, Al-Sumariyeh inhabitants report severe restrictions on livelihoods, which they describe as part of a systematic effort to gradually remove Alawites from the city.

This is not the first instance of intense restrictions in Al-Sumariyeh. Previously, armed groups erected separation walls around the neighborhood, severely limiting movement and effectively turning the area into a contained zone, which residents saw as an attempt to force them from their homes.

As of this report, neither the Syrian transitional government nor international bodies have issued official statements regarding the latest eviction threat. Local sources say tensions remain high, with many Alawite families fearing home demolitions and a repeat of previous experiences of displacement.