Suweida reels from crisis as army, SDF clash in northern Syria

Basic services in Suweida are continuing to suffer from the fallout of months of unrest, despite government efforts to portray itself as a partner in relief efforts to the troubled southern Syrian province 

Speaking about accelerating relief efforts to Suweida, which suffered dire shortages of basic goods following a siege, Mustafa Al-Bakour, governor of Suweida, told The New Arab's Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the government had a plan to address the bread and water crisis in the province.

It comes after a series of clashes this year in Suweida between rebel Druze militias and government-linked forces, leading to massacres and a blockade on the province.

"The Syrian government secured quantities of wheat and flour, but the absence of an official body to receive them prevented their organised distribution," he said, with plans to provide fuel, if the financial situation allows it.

He accused an "illegal committee" of seizing about 20 billion Syrian pounds (around $1.5 million) and one million dollars from Suweida's bank, which "prevented the payment of salaries and halted the flow of state funds".

The governor said that the government had proposed distributing wages through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), but this was rejected by local groups.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it had dispatched 12 humanitarian missions to Suweida since July and five to Daraa, noting that around 420,000 people had received monthly humanitarian aid in the past three months.

It warned of "security challenges hindering aid delivery and civilian protection", and said 62 schools in Suweida and Daraa now shelter over 7,400 displaced people at the start of the 2025–2026 school year.

Seventeen relief convoys entered Suweida between mid-July and early October, carrying over 210 trucks with food, medical supplies and water-sanitation equipment. The OCHA said instability in the province’s countryside had delayed or reduced shipments, disrupting regular distribution.

In Damascus, Al-Bakour claimed that the deterioration of services in Suweida is not due to government negligence but internal issues, including communication between local authorities and the state.

"[The government] is ready to provide all resources and services, but some groups prevent this and insist on operating outside the legal framework," he said.

He said that 110 people detained by tribal factions had been transferred to prison "as a precautionary measure to prevent retaliatory acts", and that a government committee was reviewing their cases.

"The province, along with young men and women from other governorates, will soon launch a campaign titled 'Suweida Is Part of Us', aimed at restoring national unity and improving infrastructure," he added.

Militias allegedly allied to Druze Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijiri have been involved in battles with government forces and Arab tribes since the fall of the Assad regime, which has seen hundreds of people killed, including civilians on both sides in reprisal killings.

Some Druze in Suweida want autonomy or independence for the province, although many others are hopeful of reconciliation and reintegrating into the Syrian state.

In another breakaway region, the Syrian army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have accused each other of breaching a fragile ceasefire near the Tishrin Dam east of Aleppo.

The Syrian Ministry of Defence said the SDF targeted army positions "resulting in the martyrdom of one soldier and the injury of others", adding that "less than 48 hours after the ceasefire announcement, the SDF violated the agreement more than ten times".

The SDF, in turn, said that "armed groups affiliated with the Damascus government targeted Seritel Hill and the vicinity of the Tishrin Dam with heavy artillery", and later claimed it had repelled an infiltration attempt "using hand grenades" by pro-government forces.

Activist Mohammed Al-Shamali told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that movement of civilians was allowed on Thursday, toward the Ashrafiyeh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods in northern Aleppo, which are under SDF control, though other crossings remained closed.