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Euronews
5 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Second aid convoy heads to Suwayda after recent clashes
A convoy of 22 aid trucks was sent to the Syrian city of Suwayda on Wednesday, the second such convoy by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to be sent since clashes erupted between the Druze minority militiamen and Sunni Bedouin tribes backed by security forces. Wednesday's trucks contained 4,000 food baskets, 66 tonnes of flour, 10,000 bottles of drinking water and medical supplies, according to Syrian officials. The first aid convoy entered the city on Sunday. Violence between the Druze militia and Sunni Muslim clans has resulted in the deaths of hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria's already fragile post-war transition. The clashes also led to a series of targeted attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins. The UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said more than 130,000 people were displaced in the hostilities that started with a series of attacks a week ago. Israel also launched dozens of air strikes on the Druze-majority Suwayda province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins. The violence has largely stopped as a ceasefire appears to be holding. Shortage of supplies The head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Mohammed Hazem Baqleh, said the situation in Suwayda remains grim, particularly in the main hospital, where some 300 bodies piled up during the clashes. The city had been almost entirely cut off from supplies during the two-week fighting. A Red Crescent team worked with the hospital's forensics to document the dead and prepare them for burial, he said. Baqleh said that with electricity and water largely cut off during the fighting, "there is a significant shortage of materials and a shortage of human resources" in the hospital. "The markets, in general, were closed and services have almost completely stopped" during the fighting, he said. The group was registering names of civilians who want to leave the city to give them safe passage out, he said. During the fighting, Red Crescent teams came under attack. One of their vehicles was shot at, and a warehouse burned down after being hit by shelling, he said. Families evacuated Evacuations of Bedouin families from Druze-majority areas has already begun. Syrian state media on Sunday said the government had coordinated with officials in Suwayda to bring buses to evacuate some 1,500 Bedouins. Many of them are now staying in crowded shelters in neighbouring Daraa province. Some worried that the displacement for those who leave will become permanent, a familiar scenario from the days of Syria's civil war. Human Rights Watch said in a statement Tuesday that "while officials have said the relocation is temporary, concerns remain that these families may be unable to safely return without clear guarantees." Suwayda's provincial governor, Mustafa al-Bakour, reiterated promises that the displacement will not be long term. "There can be no permanent displacement in Syria," he said. "Nobody will accept to leave the house his lives in and was raised in, except as a temporary solution until things calm down." Human Rights Watch said that all parties in the conflict had reportedly committed "serious abuses" and that the violence had also "ignited sectarian hate speech and the risk of reprisals against Druze communities across the country."
Euronews
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Syria evacuates Bedouins out of Suwayda as shaky ceasefire holds
The Syrian government started evacuating Bedouin families from the city of Suwayda on Monday, where a fragile ceasefire between the Druze minority and Bedouin fighters appears to be holding after a week of clashes. Violence between the Druze militia and Sunni Muslim clans has resulted in the deaths of hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria's already fragile postwar transition. The clashes also led to a series of targeted attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins. The UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said some 128,571 people were displaced in the hostilities that started with a series of attacks a week ago. Israel also launched dozens of air strikes on the Druze-majority Suwayda province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins. Syrian state media said on Sunday that the government had coordinated with some officials in Suwayda to bring in buses to evacuate some 1,500 Bedouins from the city. Syrian interim Interior Minister Ahmad al-Dalati told the state-run SANA news agency that the initiative will also enable displaced civilians from Suwayda to return, as the fighting has largely ceased and efforts for a comprehensive ceasefire are ongoing. 'We have imposed a security cordon in the vicinity of Suwayda to keep it secure and to stop the fighting there,' al-Dalati told the Syrian state-run news agency. 'This will preserve the path that will lead to reconciliation and stability in the province." Bedouin families accompanied out of Suwayda Buses filled with Bedouin families were accompanied by Syrian Arab Red Crescent vehicles and ambulances. Some families left on trucks with their belongings. Syrian authorities did not provide further details about the evacuation and how it relates to the broader agreement, following failed talks for a hostage swap deal on Saturday. However, the UK-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that as part of the agreement, Bedouin fighters would have to release Druze women they were holding captive and leave the province. US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack who has been involved in negotiations between multiple countries, said that the perpetrators of hostilities on both sides need to be held to account and that an agreement should be reached to allow Syria's seven-month-old interim government to exert its authority and function fully after over a decade of conflict. 'What's happened is horrible. It's unthinkable,' Barrack said in Beirut after meeting officials Monday. 'They (Syrian authorities) need to be held accountable, but they also need to be given responsibility' to restore order. Bedouin fighters wait on the edge of the city Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from Suwayda city on Sunday and, alongside others from different parts of the country, stood on the outskirts while security forces cordoned off the area. An aid convoy of some 32 Red Crescent vehicles entered the city, though a government delegation with another aid convoy was turned away. After talks for a hostage swap fell through late on Sunday, the Observatory and activist groups in Suwayda reported hearing what they said were Israeli air strikes and helicopters over villages where some skirmishes took place between the Bedouins and the Druze. The Israeli military said it was 'not aware' of any overnight strikes in Syria. Druze increasingly unsure about new government Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has tried to appeal to the Druze community while slamming the factions loyal to spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who have been involved in the clashes. He promised to hold accountable perpetrators of targeted attacks and other violations. The country's Druze community largely celebrated the downfall of the al-Assad family that ended decades of tyrannical rule in Syria. While they had concerns about al-Sharaa's possible Islamist rule, a large number wanted to approach matters diplomatically. However, Al-Hijri and his supporters have taken a more confrontational approach with al-Sharaa, unlike most other influential Druze figures. The numerous cases of attacks, which included killing Druze civilians and desecrating photos of religious notables, have made the Druze more sceptical of Al-Sharaa and less optimistic of peaceful coexistence. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the occupied Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.
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Business Standard
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Syrian govt evacuates Bedouin families from Sweida to end weeklong clashes
The Syrian government on Monday started evacuating Bedouin families trapped inside the city of Sweida, where Druze militiamen and Bedouin fighters have clashed for over a week. The clashes between militias of the Druze religious minority and the Sunni Muslim clans killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria's already fragile postwar transition. The clashes also led to a series of targeted sectarian attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins. The UN International Organisation for Migration said some 128,571 people were displaced in the hostilities that started with a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks a week ago. Israel also launched dozens of airstrikes in the Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins. Syrian state media said early Sunday that the government had coordinated with some officials in Sweida to bring in buses to evacuate some 1,500 Bedouins in the city. Syrian Interior Minister Ahmad al-Dalati told SANA that the initiative will also allow displaced civilians from Sweida to return, as the fighting has largely stopped and efforts for a complete ceasefire are ongoing. We have imposed a security cordon in the vicinity of Sweida to keep it secure and to stop the fighting there," al-Dalati told the Syrian state-run news agency. "This will preserve the path that will lead to reconciliation and stability in the province." Buses filled with Bedouin families were accompanied by Syrian Arab Red Crescent vehicles and ambulances. Some families left on trucks with their belongings. Syrian authorities did not give further details about the evacuation and how it ties into the broader agreement, following failed talks for a hostage swap deal Saturday. However, Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that as part of the agreement, the Bedouin fighters would have to release Druze women they were holding captive, and leave the province. The Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from Sweida city Sunday, and alongside other tribesman from other parts of the country stood on the outskirts while security forces cordoned off the area. An aid convoy of some 32 Red Crescent vehicles entered the city, though a government delegation with another aid convoy was turned away. After talks for a hostage swap fell through late Sunday, the Observatory and activist groups in Sweida reported hearing what they said were Israeli airstrikes and helicopters over villages where some skirmishes took place between the Bedouins and Druze militias. The Israeli military said it was not aware of any overnight strikes in Syria. Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has tried to appeal to the Druze community while slamming the factions loyal to spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri who have been involved in the clashes. He promised to hold accountable perpetrators of targeted attacks and other violations. The country's Druze community largely celebrated the downfall of the Assad family that ended decades of tyrannical rule. While they had concerns about Al-Sharaa's de facto Islamist rule, a large number wanted to approach matters diplomatically. Al-Hijri and his supporters, though, have taken a more confrontational approach with Al-Sharaa, contrary to most other influential Druze figures. Critics also note al-Hijri's previous allegiance to Assad. However, the numerous cases of sectarian attacks, which included killing Druze civilians and desecrating photos of religious notables, have made the Druze more skeptical of Al-Sharaa and less optimistic of peaceful coexistence. More than half of the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
