"Uneasy Respite in Suweida: Ceasefire Amidst Tribal Turmoil"

"After a week of intense battles, Suweida witnesses a fragile calm, but the humanitarian crisis worsens amid urgent medical supply shortages."

 

Cautious calm has enveloped Suweida, a city in southern Syria, after a week-long period of tribal clashes that resulted in extensive fatalities. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring organization, reported that hostilities have subsided, coinciding with the Syrian government's declaration of Bedouin withdrawal from the predominantly Druze city. This follows a ceasefire announced by President Ahmed al-Sharaa over the weekend. Initial reports indicated that while fighting ceased on Sunday within the city, violence lingered in surrounding areas. Civilian tolls exceeded 1,000 deaths, contributing to a dire humanitarian crisis marked by severe shortages of medical supplies.

According to the SOHR, security forces are now restricting access to the city by closing roads with barriers, allowing only ambulances through in an attempt to defuse tensions. Local Druze factions have retained control over Suweida while Bedouin bands have receded from multiple regions within the province. The resurgence of violence last week traced its roots to the abduction of a Druze merchant traveling towards Damascus, inflaming long-standing grievances between the Druze and Bedouin populations. Both groups are alleged to have committed severe acts during the conflict.

On Saturday, with Abu al-Sharaa declaring the ceasefire, the government's armed forces moved into the city, seeking to stabilize the situation. Reports suggest Druze fighters managed to expel Bedouin gunmen later that evening. Nevertheless, this recoil in conflict has not been corroborated by external media sources, raising questions about the overall stability of the area.

Sunday morning observations indicated an absence of gunfire, leading local correspondents to report a perception of tense peace. However, SOHR highlighted an urgent humanitarian need in Suweida, with one resident lamenting the lack of medical assistance, describing the foul odor of corpses within the city’s national hospital. A local dentist painted a grim picture of the healthcare landscape, denoting hospitals, as capably "out of service." Moreover, a medical professional stated that no humanitarian aid had reached the city until the cessation of hostilities was declared, emphasizing the dire circumstances still at play.