The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that deadly hostilities in the Suweida Governorate of Syria continue to endanger civilians, with ongoing reports of significant displacement and damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity, and telecommunications networks. According to media reports, the hostilities have claimed hundreds of lives.
This escalation follows violent clashes and increasing acts of violence, including mutual shelling, and airstrikes carried out by Israeli forces. Reports indicate that there have been arbitrary killings of civilians, abductions, sectarian incitement, hate speech, and the burning and looting of private property in the Druze-majority governorate since violence first erupted on Sunday.
A conflict between Bedouin tribal forces and local armed groups drawn from the Druze community has escalated significantly in recent days, prompting the Syrian interim government to deploy security and military forces to the city and drawing a series of Israeli airstrikes.
The war monitor Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said today that it has documented the deaths of at least 169 Syrians, including five children and six women, and at least 200 others being injured between Sunday and Wednesday. SNHR stressed that today’s figures are based on preliminary information available and verified by the organization.
The preliminary toll includes civilian casualties, including children, women, and medical personnel, as well as fighters from armed Bedouin tribal groups and other local groups outside the control of the state, in addition to members of security forces of the Syrian transitional government.
On Wednesday, Adam Abdelmoula, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, said that the UN and its humanitarian partners plan to send a delegation to assess needs and provide essential assistance as soon as conditions allow — in full coordination with the relevant authorities.
However, OCHA reported on Wednesday that access to affected areas in Suweida remains severely limited due to insecurity and road closures. Civilians are reportedly unable to reach designated collective shelters.
Aid agencies warn that medical services are overburdened, including in neighboring Daraa Governorate, where hospitals are nearly at capacity. The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched emergency medical supplies to Daraa to support trauma care, but deliveries to Suweida remain pending due to access constraints.
In a statement released through his spokesman on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres expressed alarm over the continued escalation of violence in Suweida, which has reportedly claimed hundreds of lives, including civilians, and injured and displaced many more.
“The Secretary-General unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians, including reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and robs the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after fourteen years of a brutal conflict,” said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence and urgent measures to restore calm and facilitate humanitarian access.
On Tuesday, he had urged the interim authorities and local leaders to immediately de-escalate the situation, protect civilians, restore calm, and prevent further incitement. He also urged the interim authorities to conduct transparent and open investigations and hold those responsible for the violations accountable.
"The Secretary-General does take note of the statement issued earlier today by the Office of the Presidency of Syria condemning the violations and committing to investigating and holding to account those responsible for them. We reiterate the Secretary-General’s appeal for transparency in this process," Dujarric said today.
Guterres also condemned Israel’s escalatory airstrikes on Suweida and Daraa, as well as in the center of the Syrian capital, Damascus. He also condemned reports of the Israel Defense Forces redeploying forces in the Golan Heights, and called for an immediate end to all violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Secretary-General reiterated the imperative of supporting a credible, orderly, and inclusive political transition in Syria, in line with the key principles of Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015).
Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has been making phone calls amid the ongoing crisis, and his deputy, Najat Rochdi, is in Damascus and communicating with various parties. Rochdi is calling for de-escalation and dialogue between the interim authorities and local stakeholders. Humanitarian Coordinator Abdelmoula has also called for calm and for the protection of civilians.
On Tuesday, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria expressed deep concern over the renewed escalation of violence. The Commission recalled that the interim government is responsible for ensuring the respect, protection, and fulfillment of the human rights of all its people, free from any form of discrimination. The Commission called on all parties to cease the violence immediately and de-escalate the situation through dialogue.
The Commission emphasized that civilians seeking to flee must be protected, afforded safe passage, and granted access to humanitarian support. It also expressed alarm regarding reports of Israeli airstrikes in the area.
“Any third-state intervention risks widening the conflict, drawing in more actors, and inflicting even greater suffering on the Syrian people,” it said.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, is currently investigating alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law relating to the events and will report on them "in due course".
For fourteen years, Syrian civilians have been subjected to massive and systematic violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. Despite significant political changes in the country in recent months, the Syrian people continue to live through one of the world's largest humanitarian crises.
Due to the war, Syria's economy and infrastructure have been devastated, leaving millions without adequate housing, reliable access to water and electricity, and other basic services. Currently, more than 16.7 million Syrians — including approximately 6.5 million children — are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, including food, shelter, and healthcare.
Despite some progress, Syria's humanitarian needs remain immense, as years of conflict have pushed 90 percent of the population into poverty. About 7.4 million people remain displaced within Syria, and more than 6 million are living as refugees abroad. Over half of the population is food insecure, with nearly three million facing severe food insecurity.
Since the Assad government was ousted on December 8 last year, about 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their areas of origin, and more than 600,000 refugees have come back from neighboring countries. This brings the total number of Syrians who have returned home to over 2.1 million.
Other foreign powers, including Turkey, Russia, Israel, and the United States, continue to wield influence in the country. Russia maintains bases on the coast, and Israel has expanded the area under its control. Since December 8, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes across Syria, threatening the country's fragile political transition.
Ongoing fighting in several parts of Syria leaves people living in fear of attacks and at risk of displacement. Humanitarian experts warn that conditions in Syria are far from stable, raising concerns about premature returns and renewed displacement.