Aid arrives in Syria's Suwayda as UN says humanitarian situation critical
Clashes in Druze-majority Suwayda province, which began on July 13 and ended with a ceasefire a week later, initially involved Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes, who have been fighting for decades. Later, government forces joined the fighting on the side of the Bedouin armed groups.
State television reported on Monday that a Syrian Red Crescent convoy had entered Suwayda, showing images of trucks crossing into the region.
State news agency SANA said the 27-truck convoy 'contains 200 tonnes of flour, 2,000 shelter kits, 1,000 food baskets' as well as medical and other food supplies.
The effort was a cooperation between 'international organisations, the Syrian government and the local community'.
UN warns of critical situation
Although the ceasefire has largely held, the UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, said that the humanitarian situation in Suwayda province 'remains critical amid ongoing instability and intermittent hostilities'.
'Humanitarian access, due to roadblocks, insecurity and other impediments … remains constrained, hampering the ability of humanitarians to assess need thoroughly and to provide critical life-saving assistance on a large scale,' OCHA said in a statement.
It stated that the violence resulted in power and water outages, as well as shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.
Local news outlet Suwayda24 reported that 'the humanitarian needs in Suwayda are dire', saying many more aid convoys were needed for the province.
It said demonstrations demanding more humanitarian aid were held in several locations on Monday.
On Sunday, Suwayda24 published a warning from local civil and humanitarian groups of a 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Suwayda, adding that the province 'is under a suffocating, escalating siege imposed by the authorities' that has led to a severe lack of basic supplies.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that government forces were deployed in parts of the province, but goods were unable to enter due to the ongoing closure of the Suwayda-Damascus highway, as government-affiliated armed groups were obstructing traffic.
SANA quoted Suwayda's provincial Governor Mustafa al-Bakkur on Sunday as saying that aid convoys were entering Suwayda province normally and that 'the roads are unobstructed for the entry of relief organisations to the province'.
Deadly clashes displaced thousands
The clashes killed more than 250 people and threatened to unravel Syria's post-war transition.
The violence also displaced 128,571 people, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration.
During the clashes, government forces intervened on the side of the Bedouin, according to witnesses, experts and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.
Israel intervened and launched air attacks on Syria's Ministry of Defence buildings in the heart of Damascus.
Israeli forces also hit Syrian government forces in Suwayda province, claiming it was protecting the Druze, whom it calls its 'brothers'.
Russia, Turkiye call for respect of Syria's territorial integrity
Following the Israeli attacks, Russia's President Vladimir Putin stressed the importance of Syria's territorial integrity in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Putin, an ally of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, also said that political stability in the country must be achieved through respect for 'all ethnic and religious groups' interests', a Kremlin statement said.
A senior Turkish official also called for sustained de-escalation and an end to Israeli military attacks in Syria, stressing the need to support Damascus's efforts to stabilise the war-torn country.
'From now on, it is important to ensure continued de-escalation and Israeli non-aggression, support for the Syrian government's efforts to restore calm in Suwayda and to prevent civilian casualties,' Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz told the UN Security Council during a meeting on Syria.
'Israel's disregard for law, order, and state sovereignty reached new heights with its recent attacks on the presidential complex and the Defence Ministry,' Yilmaz said. 'The situation has partially improved as a result of our collective efforts with the US and some other countries.'
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