Mass Protests in Suwayda Demand Syrian Government Withdrawal Amid Mounting Humanitarian Crisis
Suwayda protests demand regime withdrawal & siege lift after 1,400+ deaths. 'Aid barely covers needs,' say activists as govt denies blockade. UN confirms aid deliveries amid dire conditions in Druze-majority province.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Suwayda province in southern Syria on Friday, calling for the immediate withdrawal of government forces and the lifting of what they describe as a suffocating siege on the predominantly Druze region. The protests, held in Al-Karama Square in central Suwayda, come in the wake of fierce clashes that left more than 1,400 people dead and displaced over 176,000, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the United Nations.
The demonstrations, witnessed by an AFP photographer on the ground, were marked by a visible civilian presence, including women and children. Protesters held multilingual signs reading “Suwayda Under Siege” and “Lift the Siege on Children,” while others called for “opening a humanitarian corridor to Jordan.”
Activists on the ground accused the Syrian government of tightening its grip on the region, restricting movement, and maintaining military deployment across key areas of Suwayda. “We are demonstrating for several demands, including lifting the imposed siege on Suwayda and the exit of regime forces from all villages in the province,” said NGO activist Rawan Abu Assaf to AFP.
In response to these accusations, Syrian authorities have categorically denied imposing a siege on the province. Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour Al-Din Baba told AFP that if there were indeed a siege, “humanitarian aid convoys would not have entered the region at all.” He added, “How can commercial activity resume if armed groups outside the law are occupying the area?”
In recent days, several aid convoys have been delivered to Suwayda via the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. The United Nations confirmed on Thursday that it had sent life-saving supplies to address the “urgent needs of families and communities affected by recent security developments and the severe disruption in access to essential services.”
Despite this, conditions in the province remain dire. “The situation in Suwayda is catastrophically bad,” civil activist Khaled Salloum told AFP during the protest. “The aid barely covers minimal needs. We urgently need a humanitarian passage to be opened and the siege to be lifted.”
Background of the Clashes and Ongoing Restrictions
Although a ceasefire has been in effect since July 20, tensions remain high following a week of violent confrontations between Druze fighters and armed Bedouins. The conflict escalated dramatically with the involvement of government forces and tribal militias siding with the Bedouins. According to the Observatory, the majority of the casualties were from the Druze community.
The main road connecting Suwayda to Damascus remains blocked, reportedly by pro-government armed groups, which have restricted both civilian movement and commercial trade. The Syrian Observatory’s director, Rami Abdulrahman, stated that “government forces are besieging Suwayda to pressure its residents into submission, while allowing humanitarian aid in to preserve their image before the international community.”
The clashes have led to widespread destruction, severely disrupted electricity and water supplies, and created acute shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. Residents have been seen queuing for hours outside the few bakeries still operational, struggling to secure basic staples such as bread.
As the crisis deepens, protesters in Suwayda are intensifying their calls for immediate international attention and a concrete resolution to what they describe as a deliberate marginalization of their region by the Syrian state.
